ABOUT 11.1 million Filipino families, or about 42 percent of Filipinos, considered themselves poor in the first quarter of 2024, posting a slight decrease from the previous quarter, a survey by OCTA Research shows.
“The 3 percent decrease, representing approximately 800,000 families, while modest, still represents a continuing downward trend in self-rated poverty observed since July 2023, where self-rated poverty was at 50 percent,” OCTA Research said in its Tugon ng Masa survey, which was conducted among 1,200 adult respondents from March 11 to 14.
In Metro Manila, self-rated poverty was at 29 percent in March 2024. In Balance Luzon, it was at 28 percent. In the Visayas, it was at 47 percent.
In Mindanao, self-rated poverty rose to 71 percent from 68 percent in December 2023.
“Across major areas, Mindanao has the highest percentage of adult Filipinos who consider their families poor. … It also has the lowest percentage of nonpoor at only 4 percent,” OCTA said.
“For the first quarter of 2024, among those who considered their families poor, the median amount they need for home expenses in order not to be called poor anymore was P20,000 a month, the same as the median in the fourth quarter of 2023, but lower than the P33,000 per month in October 2023,” it said.
Get the latest news
delivered to your inbox
Sign up for The Manila Times newsletters
By signing up with an email address, I acknowledge that I have read and agree to the Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.
The survey also found that those who experienced involuntary hunger at least once fell to 11 percent or about 2.9 million families in the first quarter of 2024.
“This finding is a 3 percent decrease from the third quarter … survey conducted last December 2023 that recorded 14 percent or an estimated 3.7 million families,” OCTA said.
OCTA said the decline in self-rated hunger “deviates from the upward trends observed in the fourth quarter of 2023.”
In the first quarter of 2024, self-rated hunger was at 13 percent in the Visayas, 12 percent in Mindanao and 9 percent in Balance Luzon.
In Metro Manila, self-rated hunger rose to 9 percent in March 2024 from 8 percent in the last quarter of 2023.
The survey also found that self-rated food poverty was at 25 percent in Metro Manila, 24 percent in Balance Luzon, and 34 percent in the Visayas.
“In Mindanao, 24 percent of adult Filipinos in the island group rated themselves as food-poor, from 47 percent in October 2023 to 74 percent in March 2024. There is food poverty when, in their view, they struggle to obtain a sufficient and healthy diet,” OCTA said.
House Speaker Martin Romualdez welcomed the survey findings while acknowledging there remained much work to do.
“It is heartening to see that the number of families considering themselves poor has dropped to 42 percent, down from 45 percent in the previous quarter. Similarly, self-rated hunger has decreased to 11 percent from 14 percent in the same period,” Romualdez said.
“This positive trajectory in reducing poverty and hunger underscores the impact of our targeted policies aimed at enhancing economic stability and providing necessary support to the most vulnerable sectors. The decrease in the number of families who consider themselves food-poor — from 42 percent to 37 percent — further attests to the success of our food security programs,” he said.
“While we celebrate these achievements, we also acknowledge that much work still needs to be done. We will continue to strengthen our social programs, enhance economic opportunities, and ensure that the growth we are fostering is felt by every Filipino family across our nation,” he said.
The Tugon ng Masa survey has a ±3 percent margin of error at a 95 percent confidence level.
The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) welcomed the latest survey results.
Assistant Secretary Irene Dumlao said the results demonstrate that the government is on the right track in offering a whole-of-nation and whole-of-government strategy to address hunger and poverty.
“We, in the DSWD, are happy with the survey results and will continue to strengthen our social protection programs to continue to improve the lives of our kababayan (countrymen),” Dumlao said.
>>> Read full article>>>
Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source : The Manila Times – https://www.manilatimes.net/2024/04/24/news/national/self-rated-poverty-hunger-decline-in-first-quarter-poll/1942908
