The national Social Weather Survey of June 23-26, 2021, found 48% of Filipino families rating themselves as Mahirap or Poor, 23% rating themselves as Hindi Mahirap or Not Poor, and 29% placing themselves on the borderline dividing the two categories (recorded by SWS as Borderline Poor).
This is similar to the findings in May 2021 when 49% felt Poor, 17% felt Not Poor, and 33% felt Borderline Poor.
The movement of the Self-Rated Poor is compatible with the series of official poverty incidence rates. Still, it is both more up-to-date and revealing of the volatility of poverty during intermediate points of time.
Proportion of families feeling poor rises in the Visayas
In the Visayas, the Self-Rated Poor, Borderline Poor, and Not Poor are 70%, 24%, and 7% of families, respectively, in June 2021 compared to 56%, 39%, and 5% in May 2021. It is only in the Visayas where families feeling Poor rose (from 56% to 70%), along with a decline in Borderline Poor.
In Metro Manila, the Self-Rated Poor, Borderline-Poor, and Not Poor are 43%, 19%, and 38%, respectively, in June 2021 compared to 39%, 31%, and 30% in May 2021.
In Luzon outside Metro Manila, the Self-Rated Poor, Borderline Poor, and Not Poor are 38%, 28%, and 34%, respectively, in June 2021 compared to 45%, 31%, and 24% in May 2021.
In Mindanao, the Self-Rated Poor, Borderline Poor, and Not Poor are 51%, 42%, and 7%, respectively, in June 2021 compared to 59%, 35%, and 6% in May 2021.
The Food-Poor are 32% of families, the Non-Food-Poor are 29%, and the Borderline Food-Poor are 38%
On Self-Rated Food Poverty (SRFP), the June 2021 survey found 32% of families rating themselves as Food-Poor, 29% rating themselves Not Food-Poor, and 38% placing themselves on the borderline dividing the two categories (recorded by SWS as Borderline Food-Poor).
This is also similar to the findings in May 2021 when 32% felt Food-Poor, 23% felt Not Food-Poor, and 45% felt Borderline Food-Poor.
Not Food-Poor rise in Metro Manila; Food-Poor fall slightly in Mindanao
In Metro Manila, the Self-Rated Food-Poor, Borderline Food-Poor, and Not Food-Poor are 30%, 26%, and 44% of families, respectively, in June 2021 compared to 31%, 39%, and 31% in May 2021. Metro Manila is the only area where Not Food-Poor families rose (from 31% to 44%), along with a sharp decrease in Borderline Food-Poor families.
In Mindanao, the Self-Rated Food-Poor, Borderline Food-Poor, and Not Food-Poor are 34%, 55%, and 11%, respectively, in June 2021 compared to 44%, 48%, and 8% in May 2021. Mindanao is the only area where Food-Poor families fell (from 44% to 34%), together with an increase in Borderline Food-Poor.
In Balance Luzon, the Self-Rated Food-Poor, Borderline Food-Poor, and Not Food Poor are 29%, 32%, and 39%, respectively, in June 2021 compared to 25%, 42%, and 33% in May 2021.
In the Visayas, the Self-Rated Food-Poor, Borderline Food-Poor, and Not Food-Poor are 40%, 43%, and 18%, respectively, in June 2021 compared to 35%, 53%, and 12% in May 2021.
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