More Filipinos consider themselves as poor, the latest Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey revealed.

Based on the survey conducted from September 15 to 23, the SWS found that 52 percent or 12.2 million families believe they are poor. This is a four-point increase from the 48 percent recorded last June.

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This was the highest recorded self-rated poverty since December 2014 which reported a similar 52 percent. A total increase of 10 percentage points were recorded this year with 42 percent self-rated poverty last March.

The polling body also found that among the 12.2 million families who rated themselves as poor, 8 percent are “newly poor” or those who used to be non-poor one to four years ago, and 6 percent are “usually poor”, or those who used to be non-poor five or more years ago.

SWS said the nationwide increase in self-rated poverty in the third quarter of 2018 was because of the sharp increases in Balance Luzon and Mindanao.

Self-rated poverty in Balance Luzon increased by 12 percentage points to 47 percent from 35 percent last June. In Mindanao, self-rated poverty rose by 5 points from 60 percent in June to 65 percent in September.

Self-rated poverty in Metro Manila decreased by 17 percentage points from 43 percent in June to 26 percent in September. However, self-rated poverty remains unchanged in the Visayas with 67 percent in June and September. /cbb

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