By Brian Jules Campued
The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) vowed to strengthen its social protection programs to continue to improve the lives of Filipinos amid a recent OCTA Research survey showing a decline in self-rated poverty and hunger among families during the first quarter of 2024.
According to the Tugon ng Masa (TNM) survey conducted from March 11 to 14, the Philippines’ self-rated poverty went down to 42% from the 45% registered in the fourth quarter of 2023. This translates to about 11.1 million families considered themselves as poor during this year’s first quarter, compared to 11.9 million in the previous quarter.
In terms of self-rated hunger, OCTA said that around 11% or equivalent to around 2.9 million families experienced involuntary hunger in the first quarter of 2024 from the recorded 14% or an estimated 3.7 million families in the December 2023 survey.
Meanwhile, the survey also stated that 37% of families rated themselves as food-poor — a five percent dip from the previous quarter’s result.
DSWD Asec. for Disaster Response Management Group Irene Dumlao attributed the improvement of hunger and poverty ratings to the whole-of-nation and whole-of-government approach of the administration in addressing the said issues.
“We, in the DSWD, are happy with the survey results and will continue to strengthen our social protection programs to continue to improve the lives of our kababayans,” Dumlao said.
House Speaker Martin Romualdez, likewise, said the result of the survey is a clear indication that the administration’s anti-poverty efforts are effectively reaching and improving the lives of Filipinos.
“These improvements in self-rated poverty and hunger are more than statistics – they represent real gains in the everyday lives of our kababayans. Each percentage point decrease reflects thousands of families who now have better access to necessities and a more hopeful outlook on their future,” Romualdez said.
“While we celebrate these achievements, we also acknowledge that much work still needs to be done. We will continue to strengthen our social programs, enhance economic opportunities, and ensure that the growth we are fostering is felt by every Filipino family across our nation,” he added.
According to the Speaker, the government’s anti-poverty initiatives include the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps), the DSWD’s Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situation, the Department of Labor and Employment’s Tulong Panghanapbuhay sa ating Disadvantaged/Displaced Workers (TUPAD), and other programs such as free college education, free health insurance and the grant of direct cash subsidies.
He added that the House of Representatives collaborates with national government agencies to complement the President’s programs, such as the Bagong Pilipinas Serbisyo Fair, Cash and Rice Distributions (CARD) program, Start-up, Investment, Business Opportunity and Livelihood (SIBOL), and the Farmers Assistance for Recovery and Modernization (FARM).
Dumlao, likewise, cited the Walang Gutom 2027: Food Stamp Program (FSP) which is set to cover 300,000 beneficiaries across the country starting July. The FSP aims to combat involuntary hunger by providing food augmentation to the bottom 1 million households based on Listahanan 3, who belong to the food-poor criteria as defined by the Philippine Statistics Authority.
The DSWD also partners with local government units (LGUs) in implementing the Supplementary Feeding Program to provide nutritious snacks and hot meals, augmenting the regular meals of children enrolled in supervised neighborhood play and child development centers.
“The DSWD, which chairs the Inter-Agency Task Force on Zero Hunger (IATF-ZH), and its partner-agencies will also continue to prioritize the implementation and monitoring of nutrition-specific and nutrition-sensitive programs to address food insecurity in the country,” the agency said in a statement.
Malacañang on Sunday issued a Memorandum Circular No. 47, directing all government agencies and LGUs to support the implementation of the Enhanced Partnership Against Hunger and Poverty program which aims to ensure food security and proper nutrition. – avds