Malacañang assured on Monday that the government is committed to expanding programs to address poverty and hunger, following a recent survey highlighting an increase in self-reported poverty among Filipino families.
In a press briefing, Palace Press Officer Undersecretary Atty. Claire Castro stated that all legitimate surveys are recognized and considered by the Marcos administration.
She cited National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) Secretary Arsenio Balisacan, who explained that poverty incidence is dynamic, with self-rated poverty surveys being influenced by inflation and shifts in the prices of everyday goods like food and transportation.
Castro noted that the government will be extending its programs to address the growing concerns of poverty and hunger, following the rise in self-reported poverty.
The programs set for expansion include the P20 per kilo rice initiative, the DSWD’s Walang Gutom Program, the ongoing Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program, and the school-based feeding program.
"Iyan po ang talagang ninanais at pinapalawig pa po ang programa para ito po ay matugunan, kabilang na po nga rito ang P20 kada kilo na bigas, nandiyan pa rin po ang programang Walang Gutom Program ng DSWD, idagdag pa po natin ang patuloy patungkol dito sa Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program at isama na rin po natin ang school-based feeding program," said Castro.
"Ilan lamang ito sa programa ng Pangulong Marcos para po maibsan ang anumang kahirapan na nadadanas ng taumbayan. Although, sinasabi po natin na ang poverty incidence according to Secretary Balisacan ay dynamic po," she added.
The Palace's statement aligns with findings from the latest StratBase-Social Weather Station (SWS) survey, which showed that 55 percent of Filipino families, or 15.5 million families, considered themselves poor in April, a slight increase from 14.4 million families in March.
