The Philippine Statistics Authority’s (PSA) 2025 poverty statistics have sparked questions from netizens after putting the national poverty threshold at approximately ₱96 per person per day, or ₱14,634 monthly for a family of five.
While the PSA reported that poverty incidence declined to 9.7% in 2025, equivalent to around 11.08 million Filipinos. The measurement for this poverty threshold represents the estimated minimum income needed to meet basic food and non-food requirements such as housing, transportation, education, utilities, and healthcare. It is a statistical measure of poverty, not a recommended daily budget or a guarantee of a comfortable standard of living.
Drawing from PSA’s statement, some netizens questioned whether the official threshold accurately reflects the cost of living.
“Dapat subukan nila para mapatunayan. Proof of concept ika nga,” Kris n Alain commented.
Rosanna Lopez likewise challenged the figures, saying, “Perhaps the authors of the study can live on 96 pesos a day for 3 months to corroborate findings?”
Another netizen asked, “Pa-share naman paano? Example naman ng ma-survive.”
The Philippine Institute for Development Studies (PIDS), in a September 2026 policy note, also called for a reassessment of the country’s official poverty line, citing changing consumption patterns and the need to better reflect current economic realities.###