The Social Weather Survey showed a 2% drop of families experiencing involuntary hunger in the past three months; that is, 11.9% in the First Quarter of 2017 compared to the 13.9% in Last Quarter of 2016
This latest finding, conducted last March 25-28, affirms the positive impact of the Duterte administration’s poverty alleviation efforts on the lowest rung of society.
Some of the government’s immediate pro-poor and inclusive efforts include social protection to the poor, the marginalized and the neglected sectors, such as conditional cash transfer to the poorest of the poor, higher pension for seniors, free medicine for indigents, added incentive and combat duty pay for police and soldiers, gratuity pay to job order and contract workers in the government and regularization of tens of thousands of employees.
The government’s long-term goal, however, is to improve the lives of Filipinos across sectors, through effective delivery of goods and services, like increased spending in infrastructure projects and the promotion of easy access microfinancing system.