FILE PHOTO
MANILA, Philippines鈥擶hile the latest Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey showed that 30 percent of people believed their lives got better, it also revealed that at least 29 percent is being hit hardest by accelerating inflation.
According to the results of the SWS survey, conducted last Sept. 29 to Nov. 2, 30 percent of Filipinos said they believe their lives were better than a year ago. But 29 percent said their lives got worse. At least 41 percent said nothing changed.
READ: 30% of Pinoys say their lives got better in past 12 months, 29% say it got worse 鈥 SWS survey
This resulted in a Net Gainers score of zero, which is slightly higher than -2 in June and April this year. A score of -9 to zero is classified as 鈥渇air,鈥 while +20 and higher is considered 鈥渆xcellent.鈥 In December 2019, the Net Gainers score was 鈥渧ery high鈥 at +18.
According to SWS, Filipinos saying that their quality of life got better in the past 12 months are called 鈥済ainers,鈥 while those who are saying that it got worse than a year ago are called 鈥渓osers.鈥
GRAPHIC Ed Lustan
Despite the slight improvement, it was pointed out that involuntary hunger, which is 鈥渂eing hungry and not having anything to eat,鈥 became more prevalent among losers than those who believe that life was better off or still the same compared to a year ago.
This, as out of 11.3 percent or 2.9 million Filipinos who experienced involuntary hunger in the third quarter of this year, 15.7 percent were losers鈥13.2 percent of which experienced moderate hunger while 2.5 percent experienced severe hunger.
Only 9.8 percent of gainers experienced involuntary hunger鈥7.5 percent moderate and 2.3 percent severe鈥攚hile only 9 percent of those having the same quality of life experienced involuntary hunger鈥7.4 percent moderate and 1.6 percent severe.
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According to SWS, compared to June 2022, involuntary hunger fell from 10.9 percent among Filipinos having the same quality of life as last year, but it stayed at 9 percent among gainers and rose from 14.9 percent among losers.
Life still hard for poor
According to results of the same SWS survey, 49 percent of Filipino households considered themselves 鈥減oor,鈥 while 29 percent rated themselves as 鈥渂orderline poor.鈥 Only 21 percent of Filipino households are 鈥渘ot poor.鈥
READ: Poor still left out despite 鈥榮trong鈥 economic growth
SWS said the self-rated poor are Filipinos who belong to households with heads that rated their respective families as poor. This status is then applied to all members of the household.
鈥淭he Net Gainers score has been historically lower among the 鈥榩oor鈥 than among the 鈥榖orderline poor鈥 and 鈥榥ot poor.鈥 This means the 鈥榩oor鈥 have more 鈥榣osers鈥 and fewer 鈥榞ainers鈥 than the 鈥榖orderline 鈥榩oor鈥 and 鈥榥ot poor鈥,鈥 SWS said.
SWS said last Saturday (Nov. 3), that Net Gainers was a 鈥渇air鈥 -9 among the 鈥減oor,鈥 compared to the 鈥渉igh鈥 +6 among the 鈥渂orderline poor鈥 and 鈥渧ery high鈥 +14 among the 鈥渘ot poor.鈥
Compared to June 2022, the Net Gainers鈥 score rose from 鈥渕ediocre鈥 to 鈥渇air鈥 among the poor as the score moved slightly from -11 to -9. It stayed 鈥渇air鈥 among the 鈥渂orderline poor,鈥 up from +8 to +6.
GRAPHIC Ed Lustan
SWS said the Net Gainers鈥 score likewise rose from 鈥渉igh鈥 to 鈥渧ery high鈥 among the 鈥渘ot poor,鈥漨oving from +6 in June 2022 to +14 in October 2022.
But it was stressed that while Net Gainers鈥 score rose from 鈥渉igh鈥 to 鈥渆xcellent鈥 among college graduates, which is up by 16 points from +2 to +20, it fell from 鈥渇air鈥 to 鈥渕ediocre鈥 among elementary graduates, down by 5 points from -7 to -12.
It stayed 鈥渉igh鈥 among high school graduates, which saw a 2-point increase from +3 to +5. Net Gainers鈥 score likewise rose from 鈥渕ediocre鈥 to 鈥渇air鈥 among non-elementary graduates, up by 4 points from -12 to -8.
Millions at risk of starvation
The SWS findings came as the Philippines is experiencing intensified inflation, with the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) expecting the readout for November to be at 7.4 percent to 8.2 percent.
The BSP said inflation last month was caused by higher costs in electricity and liquefied petroleum gas, and agricultural commodities because of Paeng, a severe tropical storm that hit the Philippines in late October.
To recall, the readout hit an almost 14-year high鈥7.7 percent鈥攖hat month because of price gains in key commodities, specifically food and non-alcoholic beverages. It outpaced the 7.1 percent median forecast in a Reuters poll.
As stressed by the World Food Programme (WFP) last Oct. 14, a global food crisis is leaving hundreds of millions of people battling acute hunger鈥攚ith some tipping dangerously close to famine.
鈥淎long with known culprits鈥攖he fallout of conflict, COVID-19 and climate change 鈥攊s another fearsome enemy: skyrocketing prices for food and other key basics, especially since the war in Ukraine,鈥 WFP said.
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鈥淪ince this conflict began, soaring food, fuel and fertilizer costs have driven an additional 70 million people closer to starvation,鈥 WFP Executive Director David Beasley said, referring to Vladimir Putin鈥檚 mission to obliterate Ukraine.
WFP revealed that a record 345 million people in 82 countries faced acute hunger or worse鈥攗p from 282 million at the start of this year: 鈥淪harply rising prices also threaten hard-won gains in building longer-term food security and resilience.鈥
As stressed by the International Labour Organization (ILO) in its 鈥淕lobal Wage Report 2022-2023: The Impact of Inflation and COVID-19 on Wages and Purchasing Power,鈥 the economic and health crises dragged down the real values of wages of workers.
鈥淚ncome inequality and poverty will rise if the purchasing power of the lowest paid is not maintained. In addition, a much-needed post-pandemic recovery could be put at risk,鈥 it said.
鈥淭his could fuel further social unrest across the world and undermine the goal of achieving prosperity and peace for all.鈥
As explained by the ILO, inflation is 鈥渂iting into the purchasing power of minimum wages. Despite nominal adjustments taking place, the real value of minimum wages is quickly eroding in many countries.鈥
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