As we all know, it’s getting harder for Filipino families to make ends meet. According to a recent survey by Social Weather Stations (SWS), a household now needs at least ₱12,000 a month to survive and avoid poverty. That’s ₱2,000 more than what was needed just a few months ago.
If you live in Metro Manila, the cost is even higher. Families there need over ₱20,000 monthly to live decently.
According to the survey, the jump in the poverty threshold is mostly due to rising prices of food, transportation, electricity, and water, which are all more expensive now. Families have been cutting back on expenses to stretch their budgets.
The survey also revealed that nearly half of Filipino households, around 13.7 million, still consider themselves poor. That’s slightly down from 50% in April.
Mindanao had the highest number of families who said they’re poor at 69%, followed by Visayas at 60%. In Balance Luzon, it was 38%, and Metro Manila had the lowest at 36%.
Only 6.4% of respondents said they hadn’t experienced poverty in the past five years. Meanwhile, 34.8% said they’ve never been poor at all.
The survey was conducted from June 25 to 29, with 1,200 adult respondents nationwide. It has a margin of error of ±3%.
Source: 1
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