Manila, May 9 -- The percentage of Filipino families who consider themselves poor dropped to 42 percent in April, while those who identified as food-poor fell to 35 percent, according to the latest survey results released by OCTA Research on Friday.

The survey, conducted from April 10 to 16, showed that 42 percent of respondents, or about 11.1 million families, rated themselves as poor, reflecting an 8-point decline from 50 percent, or 13.2 million families, recorded in November 2024.

The reduction amounts to roughly 2.1 million fewer families who consider themselves poor.

Food poverty also showed a 14-point drop, with 35 percent of respondents, or about 9.2 million households, saying they struggled to afford a sufficient and healthy d...