Almost half of Filipino families felt poor, according to a survey of Social Weather Station published last August 3.
The June 26 to 29 survey from a sample of 1,500 adults. 48 percent rated themselves poor, 31 percent said they were borderline poor and only 21 percent said they were not poor.
The latest results changed significantly from its April poll, when 43% of Filipino families felt poor, 34 % rated themselves borderline poor and 23% said they were not poor.
“The estimated number of self-rated poor families were 12.2 million in June and 10.9 million in April,” it said.
Poor families were found in all areas, especially in Metro Manila—where food inflation has eaten most of what little is earned by families residing in the megacities of MM.
Self-rated poor families rose to 64 percent from 48 percent in the Visayas, and to 41 percent from 32 percent in Metro Manila. Ironically, Visayas is a region rich in fisheries and farm resources, yet people living in the region still felt poverty in their midst.
Families who considered themselves borderline poor fell to 26 percent from 46 percent in Visayas, to 22 percent from 42 percent in Metro Manila, and to 31 percent from 33 percent in Mindanao.
In Luzon areas outside Metro Manila, families who considered themselves borderline poor rose to 36 percent from 28 percent.
Families who said they were not poor also increased to 37 percent from 26 percent in Metro Manila, and to 10 percent from 6 percent in Visayas. The rate fell in Luzon areas outside Metro Manila to 28 percent from 37 percent, while it remained at 7 percent in Mindanao.
The SWS poll showed that 34 percent of Filipino families considered themselves “food-poor,” while 40 percent rated themselves “borderline food-poor.” It added that 26 percent said they were not food- poor.
A party-list group said the government should take control of oil prices to solve the rising cost of living. Anakpawis Partylist Rep. Ariel Casilao said “we’ve been calling for this (price control on oil) since last year.”
“If no actions are taken the continued increase of oil products, its effects on the country will get worse.”
Peasant groups, Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas and Pamalakaya said the cost of production for rice grains had risen by P8,000, while the cost for fishing rose by P3,800 a month.
As has been the case historically, the agricultural workers and those in remote communities are the ones with the least access to government resources and services, which is why they continue to suffer from poverty and malnutrition—even if they have ready access to natural resources. For how can you fish and farm if you do not have the wherewithal to farm and fish, not just for the family but for the country.