Presidential Adviser for Poverty Alleviation Larry Gadon holds a press conference at a restaurant in Quezon City on June 28, 2023 following his disbarment. Maria Tan, ABS-CBN News/file 

MANILA (UPDATED) — Presidential Adviser on Poverty Larry Gadon on Friday said poverty in the Philippines is only “haka-haka” or speculation of some people, as he touted the Marcos administration’s recent gains on poverty alleviation.

“Sana ang ating mga kababayan ay patuloy na suportahan ang Marcos administration, sapagkat sa totoo lang iyong mga nagsasabi ng napakahirap ng buhay ay sila lang ang nagsasabi niyan, haka-haka lang nila iyan,” Gadon said in a televised interview.

(I hope our countrymen will continue to support the Marcos administration, because in truth those who say that life is very difficult are only speculating that.)

Gadon said that one needs only to see how many people are flocking to malls and fast food restaurants, or check roads full of cars to show that the country’s economy is doing well.

“Magpunta ka sa mga mall punung-puno, ibig sabihin mataas ang purchasing power ng mga tao. Pumunta kahit sa mga probinsiya iyong mga branches ng mga fastfood – sa Jollibee, McDonalds punung-puno, ibig sabihin mataas ang purchasing power ng mga Pilipino. Lumabas ka ng kalsada at napakaraming mga bagong kotse, napakatrapik, ano ang ibig sabihin niyan, marami ang nakakabili ng kotse, marami ang nakakabili ng sasakyan – that means maganda ang ekonomiya,” he said.

(Go to the malls, they are very crowded, which means people have high purchasing power. Even in the provinces fastfoods - Jollibee, McDonalds, are full, which means the purchasing power of Filipinos is high. You go out on the road and there are so many new cars, so much traffic, what does that mean? A lot of people can buy cars, a lot of people can buy cars – that means the economy is good.)

“So, iyong mga nagsasabi na hindi maganda iyong pamamalakad ng administrasyon, eh mga dati nang naninira iyan kaya huwag kayong maniwala sa kanila. Napakaganda ng pamamalakad ni President Bongbong Marcos at napakaganda ng ating tinatahak upang mapaganda ang kinabukasan ng ating bansa at ang kinabukasan ng ating mga susunod pang henerasyon,” he said.

(So, those who say that the administration is not doing well, they are the ones who are out to malign the government, so don't believe them. The administration of President Bongbong Marcos is doing very good and the path we are taking to improve the future of our country and the future of our future generations is very good.)

In the same interview, however, Gadon said that poverty incidence in the Philippines is currently at 23.4 percent, which he said is down from the previous 24.7 percent.

“Malaki ang ibinaba ng poverty incidence kasi noong nakaraang taon ay mayroon pa tayong 24.7 percent of the poverty rate; itong taon na ito, itong present data or current data ay bumaba ito ng 23.4 – so nabawasan ito ng 1.3 percent doon sa previous data and this is translated into around 11 million families,” Gadon said in a televised briefing.

(The poverty incidence has dropped significantly because last year we still had 24.7 percent of the poverty rate; this year, this present data or current data, it decreased by 23.4 - so it decreased by 1.3 percent from the previous data and this is translated into around 11 million families.)

Gadon said the Marcos administration’s easing of pandemic restrictions has helped the Philippine economy to bounce back significantly, as evidenced by the country’s 5.7 percent growth, the highest in Southeast Asia.