Legarda: Poverty Figures must speak to Filipinos’ Lived Reality

Senator Loren Legarda said the reported decline in poverty incidence to 9.7% in 2025, from 15.5% in 2023, should challenge government to ensure that official statistics remain meaningful and reflective of the actual conditions faced by Filipino families.

According to the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA), the number of Filipinos classified as poor declined from 17.54 million in 2023 to 11.08 million in 2025, meaning around 6.46 million Filipinos moved above the official poverty threshold during the period. Around 1.90 million families remained below the poverty line in 2025, while the national poverty threshold for a family of five was placed at approximately ₱14,634 per month.

“The decline is significant, but we also have to ask what these numbers mean in the daily life of a Filipino family. If ₱14,634 is considered enough to meet the basic food and non-food needs of a family of five, government should be able to show clearly what that amount can realistically provide. Sa tantiyang ito, nasa mahigit ₱20 lamang kada tao kada pagkain ang nakalaan: benteng agahan, benteng tanghalian, at benteng hapunan. Sa presyo ngayon, ni hindi ito sapat para sa isang simpleng pagkain sa karinderya. Kaya makatarungan bang sabihing hindi na naghihirap ang isang pamilyang bahagya lamang lumampas sa ganitong antas?” Legarda said.

She stressed that crossing the official poverty line does not necessarily mean a family has achieved economic security.

“Posibleng sabihin ng datos na nakaahon na sa kahirapan ang isang pamilya dahil lumampas na ang kita nila sa poverty threshold. Pero kapag tinanong sila mismo, baka ang sagot nila: ‘Mas mahirap pa ang buhay namin ngayon.’ Kung mas mabilis ang taas ng presyo ng pagkain, pamasahe, kuryente, gamot, at iba pang pangangailangan kaysa sa pag-angat ng kita, hindi sapat na sabihing umangat sila sa papel. Dapat maramdaman din nila ang pag-unlad sa araw-araw na buhay,” Legarda said.

A recent World Bank assessment estimated that 27.7% of Filipinos remain vulnerable to falling into poverty, with many households clustered just above the poverty threshold.

Legarda also noted that the 2025 poverty figures precede the sharper cost pressures being experienced this year. In July 2026, inflation among the bottom 30% of income households reached 8.2%, while food inflation was at 8.5% and rice inflation at 19.3%.

These rising costs are also reflected in a July 2026 OCTA Research survey, where self-rated poverty rose from 35% of families in March to 39% in July, equivalent to about 10.3 million families. Self-rated hunger likewise increased from 17% to 21%, affecting around 5.6 million families. Among families who experienced hunger, 87% said it happened only once or a few times. Legarda said these figures point to a disconnect between improving official poverty statistics and the hardship many Filipino families continue to feel in their daily lives.

“If official poverty has gone down, then we have to ask why more families still say they feel poor and are experiencing hunger. Being above the poverty line should mean being able to afford food, housing, utilities, transport, health, and education, with enough left for emergencies. Our statistics should reflect what families actually experience every day,” Legarda said.

The World Bank has also warned that the present energy price shock could push approximately 2 million Filipinos into poverty without adequate protection, particularly among families with little financial cushion.

Legarda said keeping families out of poverty requires policies that help them keep more of what they earn, protect the livelihoods they depend on, and open up more reliable sources of income. She pointed to the KITA Act (SBN 2255), which seeks to ease the tax burden on workers and adjust tax thresholds to inflation; stronger protection for municipal fisherfolk and their access to municipal waters; the Local Harvest Support Act of 2026 (SBN 2051), which would expand government procurement of locally produced food; and the 4K Act (SBN 2258), which seeks to strengthen livelihood and market opportunities for Indigenous Cultural Communities and Indigenous Peoples.

“Hindi sapat na tulungan ang pamilya kapag naghihirap na sila. Kailangan nating bawasan ang posibilidad na muli silang mahulog sa kahirapan. Mas malaking naiuuwi mula sa sweldo, protektadong hanapbuhay, at siguradong merkado para sa ani at huli, ito ang mga konkretong pananggalang na dapat nating itayo. Sa ganito natin masasabi na ang pagbaba ng kahirapan ay talagang kita at nararanasan ng bawat pamilya,” Legarda concluded. (30)