Palace to poor Filipinos: No one will be left behind

This after the Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey, conducted September 27 to 30, showed that 42 percent of families considered themselves poor, which is three points lower than the 45 percent in June 2019. (File Photo: Brian Evans/Flickr, CC BY-ND 2.0)

MANILA — While fewer Filipinos consider themselves “poor” in the past three months, Malacañang on Tuesday night vowed to “intensify” government efforts to ensure that no poor Filipino is left behind.

This after the Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey, conducted September 27 to 30, showed that 42 percent of families considered themselves poor, which is three points lower than the 45 percent in June 2019.

In a statement, Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo welcomed this development, noting that reducing poverty at a significant level is the overarching socioeconomic goal of the Duterte administration.

However, Panelo pointed out that despite favorable survey results, there is no denying that millions of families remain poor.

Panelo said economic managers have intensified their efforts and targeted to lift one million Filipinos from poverty every year.

“To realize this, pertinent departments and agencies have instituted social protection measures, which include rice liberalization and institutionalization of cash transfers, to ensure that no one is left behind as we progress as a nation under the leadership of PRRD,” Panelo said.

Panelo earlier said the Duterte administration’s poverty reduction efforts remain on track on its target of lifting about six million Filipinos out of poverty by 2022.

The Palace official assured that the Executive Branch will continue to implement medium to long-term programs to fulfill the President’s commitment to deliver “genuine and meaningful change”.

Among these programs are enhancing infrastructure investments to address economic disparities in urban-rural areas and in investing human capital, including ease of access to education and health.

According to the SWS survey, the three-point decrease in the national proportion of Self-Rated Poor (SRP) families in the third quarter of 2019 is due to decreases of six points in Metro Manila, six points in Balance of Luzon, and three points in Mindanao, combined with a four-point increase in the Visayas.

The survey also showed that of the estimated 24.6 million total households, 13.0 percent used to be poor one to four years ago (“newly non-poor”), and 15.7 percent used to be poor five or more years ago (“usually non-poor”).

Meanwhile, 29.4 percent (est. 7.3 million) have never considered themselves as poor (“always non-poor”).

These figures add up to the 58 percent of families who consider themselves non-poor in September 2019.

Moreover, 5.6 percent used to be non-poor one to four years ago (“newly poor”), and 5.4 percent used to be non-poor five or more years ago (“usually poor”).

Meanwhile, 30.7 percent have always considered themselves as poor (“always poor”).

These figures add up to 42 percent of families who consider themselves poor in September 2019.

Last month, Panelo said the Duterte administration will work “tirelessly” until all Filipinos are lifted out of poverty and live comfortable lives.

This after a Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey showed that 86 percent of Filipinos rated their lives positively in the last quarter of 2018.