Malacanang on Wednesday said the Duterte administration “continues to break barriers” after the latest Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey showed a record-low of 38 percent or 9.5 million of Filipino families consider themselves as “poor”.

“The Palace welcomes the continuous improving sentiment of Filipino families that no longer consider themselves poor,” Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo said in a statement.

He said the March survey by Social Weather Stations (SWS) show a record-low of 38 percent families saying otherwise.

This was a drop of 12 percentage points from December 2018's 50 percent and four percentage points from September 2016's 42 percent, which was the previous record.

“We underscore that self-rated poverty decreased in all geographic areas during the first quarter of 2019 and we thank everyone from the President's economic managers, as well as the members of the Human Development and Poverty Reduction Cabinet Cluster, to the social welfare officers and barangay health workers for tirelessly making a positive impact on the socioeconomic lives of our countrymen,” said Panelo.

“This, notwithstanding the divisive and destructive political propaganda war waged by the President's critics and detractors during the campaign period for the midterm elections when the survey was conducted,” he added.

Panelo said the Duterte administration’s poverty reduction efforts, particularly those designed for the lowest rung of society, remains on track.

“We aim to reduce poverty from 21.6% in 2015 to 14% in 2022, which is equivalent to lifting about 6 million Filipinos out of poverty by the end of the President's term. And we will grind daily to reach this goal,” said Panelo.

According to SWS survey on Tuesday, 15.3 percent of Filipino families are newly out of poverty.

“The March 2019 survey found that of the 62 percent self-rated non-poor families, a record-high 15 percent used to be poor 1-4 years ago (“newly non-poor”), and a record-high 20 percent used to be poor five or more years ago (“usually non-poor”),” it said.

SWS said the remaining 26 percent have never experienced poverty.

“The survey also found that of the 38 percent self-rated poor families, 6 percent used to be non-poor 1-4 years ago (“newly poor”), and 6 percent used to be non-poor five or more years ago (“usually poor”).

The remaining 26 percent, or about three out of four poor families, have never experienced being non-poor (“always poor”),” it added. Ella Dionisio/DMS