Self-rated poverty increases in NCR, Luzon – SWS

Members of a family crowd themselves in a small banca on their way to their coastal home in Paranaque City on Thursday (June 26, 2014). (PNA photo by Avito C. Dalan)

MANILA – For the past three months, the Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey has recorded an increase in the poverty incidence in Metro Manila and the rest of Luzon.

Results of the poll conducted from Sept. 26 to 29 indicated that 43 percent of households in Metro Manila claims that they are poor.

This figure presents is a significant six-point increase from the 37 percent self-rated poverty incidence rate in June.

A total of 52 percent families rated themselves poor in Luzon, a figure also higher than the 45 percent recorded three months earlier.

Meanwhile, the rate decreased by 10 points to 61 percent in Mindanao and nine points to 65 percent in Visayas.

Overall hunger incidence remained the same at 55 percent or about 12.1 families in the third quarter, as explained by the SWS.

“It was three points above the 52 percent average for the four quarters of 2013.”

“The latest self-rated food-poverty rate was also four points more than the 39 percent four-quarter average last year,” the pollster said.