Palace pleased by record-low PH self-rated poverty

FILE: “We are pleased to note that Filipino families who consider themselves mahirap or poor continue to decrease to a record-low 42 percent in March 2018,” Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said in a press statement. (YANCY LIM/PRESIDENTIAL PHOTO)

MANILA — Malacañang on Friday welcomed a Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey showing that a record-low number of Filipinos considered themselves poor.

“We are pleased to note that Filipino families who consider themselves mahirap or poor continue to decrease to a record-low 42 percent in March 2018,” Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said in a press statement.

According to a recent SWS survey, the figure is 2 percent lower than the 44 percent registered in December last year.

The same survey also revealed a drop in the numbet of Filipino families rating their food as mahirap/poor from 32 percent to a record-low of 29 percent or 6.7 million families last March.

“Our poverty-alleviation efforts are thus gaining ground as we continue to assure everyone that no one will be left (behind) in the Duterte administration,” Roque said.

He said the government will continue “to enhance social protection mechanisms, which include quality health care and conditional cash transfers through revenues generated by the first package of the comprehensive tax reform program, while expanding regional and countryside development to bring comfortable life to the marginalized and disadvantaged families.”

The SWS conducted the survey from March 23 to 27 using face-to-face interviews with 1,200 adult respondents nationwide.

Meanwhile, Malacañang also welcomed another survey showing a +65 “very good” net trust rating for President Rodrigo R. Duterte.

Also conducted from March 23 to 27, the survey revealed that the President’s trust rating suffered a slight decline from “excellent” in December last year to “very good”.

The President’s net trust ratings remain “excellent” in Visayas and Mindanao, known bailiwicks of the Chief Executive, while “very good” in Balance Luzon and Metro Manila.

“We are thus grateful for our people’s vote of confidence with significant trust in the President, amid being subject to unending criticisms and attacks,” Roque said.

“Rest assured that the President will continue to steer the ship of State until we reach a drug-free destination where the country’s macroeconomic fundamentals would be strong and resilient so Filipinos could lead comfortable lives,” he added.