Gov’t still top source of aid among Filipino families—SWS

The government is still the top source of assistance for Filipino households, according to a survey by Social Weather Stations (SWS).

The non-commissioned poll, conducted from Dec. 3 to 6 last year, showed that 46 percent of respondents or about 4.8 million families said they received help from the government. An estimated 10.5 million households or 47 percent said they received assistance in the last quarter of 2016 “most commonly in the form of money and most commonly from the government.”

The latest figure of 47 percent was three points higher than the 44 percent recorded in December 2015, SWS said. Meanwhile, 53 percent or an estimated 12 million households said they did not receive any kind of help in the last quarter of 2016.

The government was followed by relatives at 41 percent, friends at 16 percent, private persons at 8 percent, private companies at 5 percent, non-government organizations or NGOs at 2 percent, and religious organizations at one percent.

Money emerged as the most common form of assistance at 51 percent, followed by food at 38 percent, money that was lent (money loan) at 24 percent, support for schooling or training at 8 percent, non-food items at 4 percent, jobs at 4%, and any kind of service at 1 percent.

The survey, conducted with face-to-face interviews of 1,500 adults nationwide, had an error margin of ±3% for national percentages. It was first published in BusinessWorld./rga

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