Filipino families living in Metro Manila believe they need to earn P25,000 to keep them from being considered poor, according to the latest survey results of the Social Weather Station (SWS).
Based on the Self-Rated Poverty (SRP) data, SWS said a Self-Rated Poverty Threshold of P25,000 is a new record. This is the highest threshold recorded by SWS in the past three administrations or since 2010.
The data also marked a threshold poverty gap of P10,000, the third quarter that this gap was recorded by SWS. This is the eighth time this gap was recorded in Metro Manila in three administrations.
“The SRP Threshold, or the minimum monthly budget self-rated poor families say they need for home expenses in order not to consider themselves poor, has remained sluggish for several years despite considerable inflation.
“This indicates that poor families have been lowering their living standards, i.e., belt-tightening,” SWS said.
The SRP threshold in Metro Manila was significantly higher than the national average of P15,000. The SRP gap was also higher in Metro Manila compared to the P7,000 average recorded nationwide.
“In the past, the median SRP Gap has generally been half of the median SRP Threshold. This means that typical poor families lack about half of what they need to not consider themselves poor,” SWS said.
“An increase in the proportion of the median SRP Gap relative to the median SRP Threshold means a worsening in families’ budget for home expenses,” it added.
Based on SWS data, this is due to the lower SRP threshold and SRP gap recorded in Balance Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao.
In Balance Luzon, SWS said the median SRP Threshold stayed at P15,000, while the median SRP Gap stayed at P6,000.
The median SRFP Threshold rose from P8,000 to P9,000, while the median SRFP Gap stayed at P3,000.
In the Visayas, the data showed, the median SRP Threshold stayed at P15,000, while the median SRP Gap stayed at P5,000.
SWS said the median SRFP Threshold rose from P6,000 to P10,000, while the median SRFP Gap rose from P3,000 to P4,000.
In Mindanao, SWS said the median SRP Threshold fell from P15,000 to P10,000, while the median SRP Gap fell from P7,000 to P5,000
The data showed the median SRFP Threshold fell from P8,000 to P5,000, while the median SRFP Gap fell from P3,000 to P2,000.
More poor
Based on the latest SWS data, some 46 percent of Filipino families rated themselves as Mahirap or Poor.
The data also showed 30 percent rated themselves as Borderline or placed themselves on a horizontal line dividing Poor and Not Poor; while the remaining 23 percent rated themselves as Hindi Mahirap or Not Poor.
“Compared to December 2023, the percentage of Poor families hardly changed from 47 percent, while Borderline families barely moved from 33 percent, and Not Poor families rose slightly from 20 percent,” SWS said.
Given this, the estimated numbers of Self-Rated Poor families were 12.9 million in March 2024 and 13 million in December 2023.
To arrive at the estimated numbers of Self-Rated Poor families, SWS said the percentage of respondent households rating themselves as poor was applied to the Philippine Statistics Authority medium-population projections for 2024 and 2023, respectively.
Meanwhile, the March 2024 survey also asked the Self-Rated Poor if they had ever experienced being non-poor (either not poor or borderline) in the past.
The total percentage of poor families consists of 6 percent who were non-poor 1 to 4 years ago and categorized as Newly Poor.
The SWS said 5.3 percent were non-poor five or more years ago or Usually Poor; and 34.9 percent who never experienced being non-poor or Always Poor.
This meant that of the estimated 12.9-million Self-Rated Poor families in March 2024, the SWS estimated that 1.7 million were Newly Poor; 1.5 million were Usually Poor; and 9.7 million were Always Poor.
The survey asked those who were Self-Rated Non-Poor or those who were either Borderline or Not Poor if they had ever experienced being poor in the past.
The total percentage of non-poor families consists of 15.6 percent or 4.3 million who were poor 1-4 years ago or Newly Non-Poor.
SWS said 10.1 percent or 2.8 million were poor five or more years ago or Usually Non-Poor while 27.8 percent or 7.7 million were never poor or Always Non-Poor.
The First Quarter 2024 Social Weather Survey was conducted from March 21-25, 2024, using face-to-face interviews of 1,500 adults (18 years old and above) nationwide.
This included 600 in Balance Luzon (or Luzon outside Metro Manila), and 300 each in Metro Manila, the Visayas, and Mindanao.
Face-to-face is the standard interviewing method for SWS; the only exceptions were early in the pandemic when movement restrictions made face-to-face impossible and mobile phone interviews were conducted. Normal face-to-face field operations resumed in November 2020.
The sampling error margins are ±2.5 percent for national percentages, ±4 percent for Balance Luzon, and ±5.7 percent each for Metro Manila, the Visayas, and Mindanao.
Source: Business Mirror