THE share of families self-reporting as poor decreased in the first quarter of 2018 to a record-low 42%, equivalent to 9.8 million families, according to a Social Weather Stations (SWS) report.
The latest Self-Rated Poverty (SRP) result was a 2-point drop from the 44% in the three months to December, equivalent to around 10 million families, and matches the record low from the three months to September 2016.
The nationwide SRP result was attributed to a “sharp decline in Mindanao offset by slight increases in Metro Manila and the Visayas, and an unchanged rating in Balance Luzon.”
SRP in Mindanao fell by 10 points to 42%, which was the lowest level since the 38% in the three months to December 2011. The share of self-rated poor in Metro Manila and the Visayas rose 2 and 1 points, respectively. SRP in Balance Luzon, meanwhile, was unchanged at 40% from a quarter earlier.
The median Self-Rated Poverty Threshold for the three months to March 2018 was P13,000, while the SRP Gap was P5,000. This means that households nationwide need a minimum P13,000 per month for home expenses in order to not identify as poor. Meanwhile, poor families were P5,000 below the threshold on average.
SRP thresholds in all areas either decreased or remained unchanged, except for Mindanao which rose to a record-high P15,000. The Mindanao SRP Gap likewise rose to P6000.
SWS also found that 29% of families, or 6.7 million, rate their food as poor. The result is a 3-point decrease from 32% in the three months to December. The latest result is a record low, coming under the 30% registered in the three months to September 2016.
SWS noted this is the first time for this indicator to come in below 30% after registering 32% in each of the last three quarters of 2017.
The Visayas were the exception. In this region the indicator rose 13 points to 45% in the three months to March, the highest since the three months to December 2015 record of 50%.
Self-Rated Food Poverty in Balance Luzon decreased by 8 points quarter-on-quarter to 24%; Mindanao, declined 5 points to 31%, the lowest in almost seven years. Metro Manila also dropped 4 points to 18%.
The SRP and SRFP surveys were conducted from March 23 to 27 through face-to-face interviews with 1,2000 respondents, 18 years old and above. — Charmaine A. Tadalan

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