MANILA - A Filipino family of 5 needs P12,082 per month to cover basic food and non-food needs in the first semester of 2021, data from the state statistics bureau released Friday showed.

This is 14.7 percent higher compared to the monthly average amount of P10,532 in the first semester of 2018, according to the First Semester 2021 Official Poverty Statistics of the Philippine Statistics Authority.

Among the basic needs included in the basket are food, clothing, housing, water, health, transport, communication, education, miscellaneous for personal care as well as basic spending for health and education, National Statistician Dennis Mapa said.

These numbers represent the poverty thresholds.

However, Mapa clarified that the average only covers basic food and non-food needs.

“Pag mababa ‘yung income sa poverty threshold ang classification nila ay poor siya, pag tumaas naman non-poor…Nacover niya ang food and non food needs pero baka meron pang ibang kailangan," Mapa told reporters.

(If the income is lower than the poverty threshold, then the classification is poor. If higher, then non-poor... They were able to cover food and non-food needs but there could be other needs).

A Filipino family of 5 needs P12,082 per month to cover basic food and non-food needs in the first semester of 2021, PSA data showed.

This is 14.7 percent compared to the monthly average of P10,532 in the first semester of 2018 pic.twitter.com/WSu1h7NuGh

— Jessica Fenol (@JessFenol) December 17, 2021

Poverty incidence among Filipinos, or based on individual population, reached 23.7 percent in the first half of the year, equivalent to 26.14 million poor Filipinos.

“These families have incomes that are not sufficient to buy their minimum basic food and non-food needs during the first half of the year,” the PSA said.

This is higher compared to the 21.1 percent poverty incidence, or 22.26 million, in the same comparable period in 2018.

More details to follow.

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