The government did not fall short in addressing poverty in the country and in uplifting the lives of Filipinos despite reports of an increasing number of families claiming to be poor, Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Assistant Secretary and spokeswoman Irene Dumlao said on Thursday.
Dumlao made the statement during the DSWD Thursday briefing following a survey from the Social Weather Stations (SWS) that showed an increasing number of self-rated poor families which totaled 17.4 million in the last quarter of 2024.
The SWS survey results showed that 63 percent of Filipino families rated themselves as poor, up from 59 percent in September, 58 percent in June and 46 percent in March.
The results also showed that the self-rated poor families were highest in Mindanao at 76 percent (up from 67 percent in September), followed by the Visayas at 74 percent (up from 62 percent), Luzon at 55 percent (unchanged), and the Metro Manila at 51 percent (down from 52 percent).
Dumlao said there are a lot of factors that affect the perception of a person which could have contributed to their self-proclamation that they are poor such as El Niño, the series of typhoons in the last quarter of 2024 and inflation.
“We think, the government did not fall short in providing assistance, but like I said, there are a lot of factors that could affect the perception of the respondents.”
Dumlao said the government, particularly the DSWD, remains committed to helping those in need and to providing aid that would cushion the impact of the calamities and inflation on the public, especially the vulnerable sector.
Former Civil Service Commission Chairman and Davao City mayoralty candidate Karlo Nograles said the high self-rated poor rating in Mindanao highlights the need for more quality and high-paying jobs in the province to enable its residents to cope with the rising costs of living.
Nograles said the survey results showed that many people, especially in Mindanao, believe that they do not have enough money to cover their basic needs, particularly food.
He added that while many Mindanaons are working, they still believe that “they are poor, while roughly seven in 10 Mindanaons say they do not earn enough to adequately feed their families.”
He said there are even those who are looking for cash aids which is just a short-term solution.
“Ultimately the most effective way to ensure our kababayan earn enough for their needs is to generate quality, high-paying jobs,” said Nograles, who emphasized that Davao City has great potential to become an investment and logistics hub that could serve as an alternative to Singapore.
