Nearly two and a half million Filipinos were lifted out of poverty, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said, citing the Philippine Statistics Authority report that poverty rate dropped to 15.5 percent in 2023 from 18 percent in 2021.
“This present figure is even lower than the pre-pandemic level of 16.7 percent in 2018. Ang katumbas nito ay halos dalawa’t kalahating milyong Pilipino ang naiangat natin mula sa kahirapan,” Marcos Jr. said in his third State of the Nation Address on Monday, July 22.
Also, the President shared that the number of Filipinos who can’t meet their basic food needs also declined.
“Nabawasan nang lagpas isang milyon at pitong daang libo ang bilang ng mga Pilipinong walang sapat na pambili ng pagkain,” according to him.
He assured the public that his administration will continue to work to lift Filipinos out of poverty.
In the same vein, Marcos Jr. announced that more than 420,000 families have graduated from the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) of the Department of Social Welfare and Development.
“Ibig sabihin, sa tulong ng 4Ps, mas gumanda na ang kanilang kalagayan at kakayahang makipagsapalaran sa laban ng buhay,” he said.
The Chief Executive noted that 35 students whose families graduated from the program in the last two years became topnotchers in various licensure exams.
“Ilan sa kanila ay si Teacher Khane Jevie Cervantes ng Davao Oriental, na nakuha ng number one sa Licensure Examination for Professional Teachers. Isa rin si Engr. Alexis Alegado na nanguna sa Civil Engineering Board Exams noong Abril ng nakalipas na taon,” said Marcos Jr.IMT
