DAVAO CITY, Philippines — Malacañang has admitted that much still needs to be done to address poverty despite the Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey showing a drop in the number of Filipino families that consider themselves poor. “Even as we acknowledge such positive development, we note that poverty among Filipinos is still high,” presidential spokesman Salvador Panelo said in a statement yesterday, adding that the government would address the situation by sustaining high economic growth that creates many jobs and reduce prices and inflation. It also showed a similar drop in the number of Filipino families rating their food as mahirap with 34 percent in December 2018 vis-à-vis September 2018’s 36 percent. The average inflation for 2018 was at 5.2 percent — the high end of government’s annual inflation forecast of 4.8 to 5.2 percent and the highest since 2009. He also noted the statement of Secretary Ernesto Pernia of the National Economic and Development Authority who said that, in addressing poverty, the high economic growth that creates jobs and reduces prices and inflation must be sustained.

Source: Philippine Star January 13, 2019 16:07 UTC