45% of families self-rate as poor, up from 42%

Around 800,000 more Filipino families rated themselves as poor in July, bringing the total number of self-rated poor families to approximately 11.9 million, according to OCTA Research.

The survey found that 45% of Filipino families now consider themselves poor, an increase from 42% recorded in April.

In Mindanao, the share of Filipinos identifying as poor rose slightly from 61% to 63%, while in Luzon (excluding Metro Manila) it increased significantly from 29% to 37%. In contrast, Metro Manila saw a decrease from 28% to 23%.

The survey also revealed that the number of Filipinos experiencing food insecurity rose from 35% in April to 42% in July, representing about 11.3 million families.

OCTA attributed the rise in food poverty to increasing food prices and declining household purchasing power, highlighting growing struggles among lower-income families to afford adequate food.

The survey found that Filipino families who consider themselves poor believe they need an additional P7,000 per month to rise above the poverty level.