It’s inflation that caused the rise in ‘self-rated poverty,’ says Roque

Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque (File photo by JOAN BONDOC / Philippine Daily Inquirer)

The inflation rate has caused the increase of the number of Filipinos who consider themselves poor, according to presidential spokesperson Harry Roque.

“We take note of the Social Weather Stations (SWS) September 23-27, 2017 survey showing 47% of families considered themselves poor/mahirap,” Roque said in a statement issued on Sunday. “We attribute the increase to inflation which registered 3.4% in September, according to the Philippine Statistics Authority.”

Roque noted that it was also this time when the peso weakened and resulted in the increase prices of goods.

The increase in “self-rated poverty” was a cause for concern, he said. On the other hand, the administration was “encouraged that the “food-poor” rating was going down.

In September 2017, the percentage of families who rated themselves food-poor stood at 32 percent. This is 3 percent lower compared to the previous administration’s record of 35 percent in 2015.

“It is for this reason that while the administration is building a strong and sustainable domestic economy, growth must be inclusive and must be translated to a more comfortable life for all,” he said. “We must ensure that the economy serves everyone and leaves no one behind by improving our social services, such as providing free college education, free medicine, free irrigation, socialized housing, conditional cash transfers, among others.” /atm