“This gives an average Self-Rated Poverty of 46% for all quarters of 2017, two points short of the record-low average 44 percent of 2016,” the SWS said. The self-rated poverty rating reached 50 percent in March 2017, 44 percent in June 2017, 47 percent in September 2017 and 44 percent in December 2017. The SWS survey also showed that self-rated food poverty also slightly went up to 33 percent at the end of 2017, a two-point increase from the 31 percent rating in 2016. The self-rated food poverty started at 35 percent in March 2017. Mindanao’s self-rated food poverty also increased to 38 percent in December 2017, up from 34 percent four months back.

Source: Manila Times January 17, 2018 16:30 UTC