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Friday, March 29, 2024

More Pinoys claim to be poor

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THE number of Filipinos who considered themselves as “poor” posted a significant six-point rise in the last three months over the same period last year, the latest Social Weather Stations survey revealed.

The First Quarter Social Weather Survey, conducted among 1,200 adults, said that more than 50 percent, or an estimated 11.5 million families considering themselves mahirap, or poor, six points more than 44 percent or an estimated 10 million recorded in December 2016.

Self-rated poverty shot up in all geographical areas, with those in Balance Luzon saying that they were poor rising by eight points to 50 percent in the last year, from a 42 percent in December.

In the President’s home region, Mindanao—more people there said that they were poorer than last year, shooting up six points to 53 percent.

In Metro Manila, 36 percent said they were poor, posting a five-point rise while in the Visayas the reading edged up a point to 57 percent.

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The same SWS survey noted that more than 35 percent of Filipinos, or 8.1 million families were “food-poor,” more than the 34 percent recorded in December 2016, or 7.7 million families.

“Prior to this rise,” SWS said, self-rated poverty “had been either steady or declining for nine consecutive quarters from the fourth quarter of 2014 to the fourth quarter of 2016.”

The Palace admitted that it “needs to intensify its response in addressing the problem of poverty” with the help of business, civil society and other stakeholders, said Presidential Spokesman Ernesto Abella.

Some of the pro-poor and inclusive efforts of the administration, Abella said, includes higher pensions for seniors, free medicine for indigents, added incentives and combat duty pay for police and soldiers, gratuity pay to job order and contract workers in the government, and regularization of tens of thousands of employees.

Abella said that the government also gave certificates of land ownership awards to farmer-beneficiaries, turned over farm machinery and equipment to farmers and distributed fishing boats to fishermen, accelerated higher infrastructure spending, and promoted easy access microfinancing system, among others.

In a separate survey, most Filipinos believe that the possibility that an offender can reform is a valid argument against the death penalty.

The latest survey, conducted among 1,200 respondents revealed that 50 percent of Filipinos believe that the possibility wherein a person who committed a heinous crime can still change and be a good citizen is a good reason not to reimpose the death penalty.

Some 27 percent disagreed, saying that people who committed heinous crimes won’t change, while another 23 percent were undecided. This gives a net agreement score of +24, classified by SWS as moderate.

Some 41 percent, meanwhile, believe that the poor will usually be meted the death penalty while 37 percent believe that even the rich will also be convicted of capital crimes. Another 22 percent said that they were undecided.

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