Self-rated poverty, hunger dip — OCTA
THE number of Filipinos who say they are poor and hungry dropped in the third quarter of 2024, according to the latest survey conducted by the independent pollster OCTA Research. In its Tugon ng Masa survey conducted from Aug. 28 to Sept. 2, 2024, 43 percent of Filipinos, equivalent to around 11.3 million families, self-identified as poor in the third quarter of 2024, a decline of five percentage points, or 1.4 million families, from the previous quarter where 48 percent said they are poor. Self-rated poverty decreased by 7 percentage points in Balance Luzon, from 37 percent to 30 percent, as well as in Mindanao by 17 percentage points from 77 percent to 60 percent. However, it increased in the National Capital Region, from 28 percent to 35 percent, and in Visayas from 52 percent to 59 percent. Despite this, Mindanao remained the region with the highest percentage of respondents who claim that they are poor at 60 percent, while socioeconomic Class E were the highest among all socioeconomic classes at 79 percent. There was also an increase in people who think that the state of poverty has worsened, from 31 percent in June to 34 percent in August. Among those who consider themselves as poor, the median amount that they need for home expenses in order for them not to be considered as poor anymore is at P30,000 per month. Meanwhile, only 11 percent of Filipino families claim that they experienced involuntary hunger, or going without anything to eat at least once in the last three months prior to the survey, a decrease of 5 percentage points from the 16 percent in the previous quarter. Families in the Visayas region were the highest among those who said that they experienced involuntary hunger at 20 percent, followed by the NCR and Mindanao at 11 percent, while Socioeconomic Class E were the highest among those who said that they experienced involuntary hunger at 29 percent. Meanwhile, 42 percent of respondents said they are food poor during the third quarter of 2024, equivalent to 11.1 million Filipino families, which is almost unchanged from the previous quarter, where 41 percent, or 10.8 million families, said that they are food poor. Being food poor means that individuals and households are struggling to obtain a sufficient and healthy diet. Visayas was the region with the highest percentage of Filipinos who consider their families as food poor at 63 percent, an increase of 15 percent, followed by Mindanao at 59 percent. Among those who consider themselves as food poor, the median amount that they need for home expenses in order not to be considered as food poor anymore is at P10,000 per month. Some 30 percent of respondents, meanwhile, said that the state of hunger in the country has worsened, while 49 percent said that it was unchanged — the same as the previous quarter. The survey, which had 1,200 respondents across the country, had a margin of error of plus or minus 3 percent nationwide and plus or minus 6 percent across major areas.
Tomas Kauer - Moderator 
THE number of Filipinos who say they are poor and hungry dropped in the third quarter of 2024, according to the latest survey conducted by the independent pollster OCTA Research.
In its Tugon ng Masa survey conducted from Aug. 28 to Sept. 2, 2024, 43 percent of Filipinos, equivalent to around 11.3 million families, self-identified as poor in the third quarter of 2024, a decline of five percentage points, or 1.4 million families, from the previous quarter where 48 percent said they are poor.
Self-rated poverty decreased by 7 percentage points in Balance Luzon, from 37 percent to 30 percent, as well as in Mindanao by 17 percentage points from 77 percent to 60 percent. However, it increased in the National Capital Region, from 28 percent to 35 percent, and in Visayas from 52 percent to 59 percent.
Despite this, Mindanao remained the region with the highest percentage of respondents who claim that they are poor at 60 percent, while socioeconomic Class E were the highest among all socioeconomic classes at 79 percent.
There was also an increase in people who think that the state of poverty has worsened, from 31 percent in June to 34 percent in August.
Among those who consider themselves as poor, the median amount that they need for home expenses in order for them not to be considered as poor anymore is at P30,000 per month.
Meanwhile, only 11 percent of Filipino families claim that they experienced involuntary hunger, or going without anything to eat at least once in the last three months prior to the survey, a decrease of 5 percentage points from the 16 percent in the previous quarter.
Families in the Visayas region were the highest among those who said that they experienced involuntary hunger at 20 percent, followed by the NCR and Mindanao at 11 percent, while Socioeconomic Class E were the highest among those who said that they experienced involuntary hunger at 29 percent.
Meanwhile, 42 percent of respondents said they are food poor during the third quarter of 2024, equivalent to 11.1 million Filipino families, which is almost unchanged from the previous quarter, where 41 percent, or 10.8 million families, said that they are food poor.
Being food poor means that individuals and households are struggling to obtain a sufficient and healthy diet.
Visayas was the region with the highest percentage of Filipinos who consider their families as food poor at 63 percent, an increase of 15 percent, followed by Mindanao at 59 percent.
Among those who consider themselves as food poor, the median amount that they need for home expenses in order not to be considered as food poor anymore is at P10,000 per month.
Some 30 percent of respondents, meanwhile, said that the state of hunger in the country has worsened, while 49 percent said that it was unchanged — the same as the previous quarter.
The survey, which had 1,200 respondents across the country, had a margin of error of plus or minus 3 percent nationwide and plus or minus 6 percent across major areas.
