DOLEOUT. Bukidnon residents who are recipients of the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program, queue for their ATM cards outside a bank in Malaybalay City (MindaNews file photo)
Bayan Muna Partylist today slammed the administration of Pres. Ferdinand Marcos Jr. for “shoving majority of the Filipinos down into further impoverishment with its failed economic policies.”
The latest Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey has revealed the worsening poverty crisis in the Philippines under the Marcos Jr. administration, with 63% of Filipino families now consider themselves poor, the highest rate since 2003.
“This figure underscores the administration’s utter failure to uplift Filipinos from poverty,” said Bayan Muna Executive Vice President and former Congressman Carlos Isagani Zarate.
“Particularly alarming is that 51% of families now classify themselves as food-poor, unable to afford the bare minimum for a healthy diet. Worse, 76% of families in Mindanao—the highest among all regions—bear the brunt of this economic mismanagement,” the Mindanao-based former solon said.
“Mindanao’s poverty rate, surging to 76%, reflects the region’s worsening plight under the current administration. This region, a critical agricultural hub, remains grossly underserved and neglected despite its significant role in feeding the nation,” he added.
He noted that the Marcos, Jr. administration’s policies of “massive importation of rice and fish have devastated local industries, leaving farmers struggling to sell their produce at fair prices and fisherfolk earning less as imported fish flood the markets.”
Zarate also said that this “policy-induced economic strain” has resulted in widespread job losses and heightened food insecurity.
“The El Niño phenomenon and a series of typhoons in 2024 inflicted damages amounting to ₱15.3 billion on farms and fisheries, yet government support for affected communities remains inadequate,” he said.
“To exacerbate the situation, soaring inflation has caused the prices of essential goods, including food and electricity, to rise, making it nearly impossible, especially for Mindanao’s families to meet their basic needs.” Zarate added.
He further noted that the unabated hikes in fuel prices have also created a domino effect, inflating the cost of goods and services, particularly in agricultural areas like Mindanao, where transportation plays a critical role in distributing produce.
“Instead of addressing these challenges, the Marcos Jr. administration has pursued policies that further aggravate the situation, like the hikes in SSS premiums. On the other hand, patronage spending through pork barrel allocations has funneled billions to enrich political allies while underfunding social services like health and education,” Zarate further noted. “Debt mismanagement has pushed the national debt to ₱16 trillion, with little improvement in critical sectors such as agriculture, education, and healthcare.”
“But aggravating these issues is the Marcos Jr. administration’s callous refusal to implement a significant wage increase despite the rising cost of living, leaving workers unable to cope with inflation and high unemployment, especially in impoverished regions like Mindanao,” Zarate said
“These devastating economic policies are no longer sustainable and should be stopped. Pork barrel spending must be abolished, and funds redirected to strengthening basic services such as healthcare, education, and disaster resilience while rebuilding robust rural economies. More importantly, sustainable fiscal policies must replace debt dependency, ensuring long-term growth that genuinely uplifts the poor,” ended Zarate. #
