SWS: 59% of Filipino families or 16.3M rated selves 'poor' in Q3

More than half of Filipinos consider themselves living in poverty, according to a national survey by the Social Weather Stations (SWS).

The September 14-23, 2024 survey found 59% of families rating themselves as poor or 16.3 million Filipinos.

This is one percentage point higher than the 58% in the June 2024 survey, and "the highest percentage of self-rated poor families since June 2008," SWS said.

The Third Quarter 2024 survey was conducted using face-to-face interviews of 1,500 adults nationwide: 600 in Balance Luzon (or Luzon outside Metro Manila), and 300 each in Metro Manila, the Visayas, and Mindanao.

It had a sampling error margin of ±2.5% for national percentages, ±4.0% for Balance Luzon, and ±5.7% each for Metro Manila, the Visayas, and Mindanao.

The survey was non-commissioned.

According to SWS, self-rated poverty rose in Metro Manila, was slightly up in Balance Luzon, and slightly fell in the Visayas and Mindanao

Self-rated poverty was highest in Mindanao at 67%, followed by the Visayas at 62%, Balance Luzon at 55%, and Metro Manila at 52%.

The survey asked the respondents if they had ever experienced being non-poor (either not poor or borderline) in the past.

"The total percentage of poor families consists of 9.1% who were non-poor 1-4 years ago (“Newly Poor”), 8.1% who were non-poor five or more years ago (“Usually Poor”), and 41.5% who never experienced being non-poor (“Always Poor”)," SWS said.

This is equivalent to 2.5 million newly poor; 2.3 million usually poor, and 11.5 million always poor.

The survey also found the median monthly family expenses for house rent at P3,000, Transportation to work and school at P2,000, Internet at P1,000, and mobile phone load at P400.

"Compared to June 2024, the median monthly family expense remained unchanged for House rent at P3,000 and Transportation to work and school at P2,000. However, it rose for Internet from P900 and Mobile phone load from P360," SWS said.

The September 2024 survey showed the median monthly family expense for house rent was highest in Metro Manila at P3,500, followed by Balance Luzon at P3,000, the Visayas at P2,250, and Mindanao at P1,500.

For transportation to work and school, the median monthly family expense was also highest in Metro Manila at P2,500, followed by Balance Luzon at P2,000, the Visayas at P2,000, and Mindanao at P1,500. 

"As of September 2024, the median monthly family expense for Internet was P1,000 in all areas. ]For Mobile phone load, the September 2024 median monthly family expense was P400 in Metro Manila, Balance Luzon, and Mindanao, and P300 in the Visayas," SWS added. —LDF, GMA Integrated News