• Food poverty survey result indicates effective government anti-poverty program, says Palace
• Malacañang expresses condolences to former U.S. Ambassador Stephen Bosworth’s family
• Palace welcomes increase in President Aquino’s trust, approval ratings

“We note that the rating for self-rated hunger is the lowest since 2011 while the rating for self-rated food poverty is two percentage points lower than the 35 percent recorded in September last year.”

According to Secretary Coloma, the latest SWS survey validates the efficacy of the government’s purposive and targeted social protection and poverty alleviation programs, anchored on the expanded Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps), which has benefitted close to 4.4 households nationwide.

The government, he said, is committed to sustaining the momentum of its social protection and social welfare programs through the delivery of basic education, skills training and universal health care in the remaining months of the Aquino administration.

These government initiatives seek to bring about the inclusion of all marginalized citizens in the mainstream of social opportunity, he added.

In a separate statement, Presidential Spokesperson Edwin Lacierda said the latest SWS survey encourages the administration to further maximize the country’s resources toward greater inclusivity.

The 2016 budget attests to this government commitment, he said, noting that the Department of Education was again given the largest share of the budget, as well as the Conditional Cash Transfer (CCT) program.

“In the coming months, our agencies will remain hard at work promoting countrywide development and implementing programs that will truly benefit the people,” Secretary Lacierda said.

“Clearly, the Philippines is already on the path to progress. Heading into the next elections, we trust that the Filipino people will vote with the long-term future in mind and choose to remain on Daang Matuwid.”

The SWS released on Wednesday the results of its fourth quarter 2015 survey on self-rated poverty and self-rated food poverty, indicating that 50 percent of Filipino families consider themselves poor, bringing the yearly average to 50 percent.

This is four points below the 2014 average of 54 percent and is also the lowest annual average for self-rated poverty since 2011.

The survey, which was conducted from December 5 to 8 among 1,200 adult respondents nationwide, also revealed that 33 percent of families consider themselves food-poor—a two-point drop compared to last September’s 35 percent and the lowest quarterly rate since March 2010. PND (as)

In a statement issued on Wednesday, Presidential Spokesperson Edwin Lacierda described Bosworth, who served as US ambassador to the Philippines from 1984 to 1987, as “a true friend” of the country.

“Stephen Bosworth was a true friend of the Philippines. During his ambassadorship to the Philippines from 1984 to 1987, he was placed in the middle of the country’s transformation from a dictatorship to a newly restored democracy,” Secretary Lacierda said.

“He proved to be an honorable representative not just of his country’s interests but of the spirit of the times: one that embraced the toppling of tyrants throughout the world and the ‘restoration of democracy by the ways of democracy,’ as former President Corazon C. Aquino so memorably expressed it,” he added.

The Palace official said that in dealing with the democratic opposition to the dictatorship, Bosworth was an “understanding and sympathetic envoy”.

“His passing marks the loss of one more important figure in the history of people power, as we prepare to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the EDSA People Power Revolution. We extend our deepest condolences to his family during this time of grief,” Lacierda said.

Bosworth had an extensive career in the United States Foreign Service. He also served as ambassador to Tunisia (1979-1981) and the Republic of Korea (1997-2001), and as special representative for North Korea Policy for the Obama Administration (2009-2011). PND (co)

“We note the latest 2015 Ulat ng Bayan Survey of Pulse Asia, which shows an increase in President Aquino’s Trust and Approval Ratings for the last quarter of 2015 at 53 percent and 55 percent, respectively,” Communication Secretary Herminio Coloma, Jr. said in a statement issued on Wednesday.

“We note further that the greatest increases in the Trust and Approval ratings of the President came from socio-economic class E, at +10 and +8 respectively, which indicates a growing support for the government’s programs and initiatives that benefit the poor and marginalized sectors of our society.”

Secretary Coloma said the administration is greatly humbled by the show of support and trust by the citizens as it continues to serve with greater passion and determination in its remaining months.

The results of the Pulse Asia survey, released on Wednesday, showed President Aquino as the only key official in the country who received the “majority” trust and performance ratings.

The survey, conducted last December 4 to 11 among 1,800 respondents, indicated that President Aquino enjoys a trust rating of 53 percent, and an approval rating of 55 percent.

The Chief Executive’s trust and performance ratings are also higher than the third quarter’s 49 percent and 54 percent, respectively.

The Pulse Asia survey covered the performance and trust ratings of the government’s top five officials – the President, the Vice President, the Senate President, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, and the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court. PND (as)