Pandemic throws more Filipinos into poverty in first half — PSA

Residents wanting to pick up some vegetables and other goods at the Maginhawa community pantry queue along the sidewalk of Maginhawa Sreet in Quezon City before dawn on Tuesday, April 20, 2021.

The STAR / Miguel de Guzman

MANILA, Philippines — More Filipinos became poor in the first half of the year, as the pandemic wiped out gains of the Duterte administration in lifting people out of poverty.

A survey of 174,007 families nationwide showed there were 26.14 million Filipinos living below the poverty line in the first six months of the year, up from 22.26 million recorded in the comparable period in 2018, the Philippine Statistics Authority reported Friday.

This translated to a poverty rate among the country’s population of 23.7% during the January-June period, higher than 21.1% rate posted in the first two quarters of 2018.

Full Story: https://www.philstar.com/business/2021/12/17/2148581/pandemic-throws-more-filipinos-poverty-first-half-psa