Poor families lowering living standards - SWS

Self-rated poor Filipino families significantly increased last year despite indicators showing that they have already lowered their living standards, the fourth quarter survey conducted by Social Weather Stations (SWS) showed.

- JANVIC MATEO

The survey, conducted from Dec. 12 to 18, found that the self-rated poverty threshold – or the minimum monthly budget for home expenses needed by self-rated poor families in order not to consider themselves poor – fell for two quarters last year.

From P15,000 in June, it went down to P12,000 in September and P10,000 in December.

“The self-rated poverty threshold … has remained sluggish for several years despite considerable inflation. This indicates that poor families have been lowering their living standards, i.e., belt-tightening,” the polling firm said.