The number of families who consider themselves poor is lower in the first quarter of 2019 compared to the last quarter of December 2018, according to the First Quarter 2019 Social Weather Survey (SWS).
There are about 9.5 million Filipino families or 38 percent who see themselves as poor in a survey conducted last March 2019. The figure is 12 points lower than the December 2018 figure of 50 percent or about 11.6 million families.
The survey was conducted from March 28 to 31, 2019 using face-to-face interviews of 1,440 adults nationwide with sampling error margins of ±2.6 percent for national percentages, and ±5 percent each for Balance Luzon, Metro Manila, the Visayas, and Mindanao.
The survey also showed Food-Poor rating at a new record-low of 27 percent or about 6.8 million families or 7 points below the 34 percent or about 7.9 million in December 2018.
Meanwhile, the median Self-Rated Poverty Threshold or the monthly income households needs at least P10,000 so as not to consider itself poor.
Survey respondents said the amount poor families lack in monthly home expenses relative to their stated threshold is P5,000.
The SWS explained that Self-Rated Poverty measures the proportion of respondents rating their family as poor or mahirap, while the Self-Rated Poverty Threshold (SRPT) is the minimum monthly budget poor families need for home expenses in order not to be poor.
