We acknowledge the SWS for conducting and publishing its Third Quarter 2021 Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey, a regular initiative that provides the government with useful indicators it can use to calibrate its programs and policies.

The results of the survey—particularly the decrease of Filipino families rating themselves as “mahirap,” from 48% in June 2021 to 45% in September 2021—show that progress has been made in our efforts to reopen the economy and bounce back from the adverse economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The government believes that the increase in percentage of the vaccinated population and the drop in new COVID infections put us in a position to safely expand economic activities that will positively impact employment and reduce poverty. Our Economic Team estimates that placing Metro Manila, the center of trade and business in the Philippines, under Alert Level 2, with health and safety protocols still in place, will boost the economy by Php3.6-B and employment by 16,000 per week.

We thank those in government, the private sector, and our people for doing their part to revitalize our economy so that we can resume the positive strides we were making in reducing poverty prior to the pandemic. ###