00:00 The poverty rate in the Philippines has dropped by more than 10% this year
00:05 as a result of various measures laid out by the government.
00:09 Do ordinary Filipinos feel this?
00:12 This is what Denise Osorio has to say.
00:14 My water is not enough.
00:20 It's hard to live.
00:23 I can't afford to buy.
00:25 But we can sell our water.
00:27 So we need to work hard to buy our water.
00:33 Despite the high price of water,
00:37 it's enough for her.
00:39 In her opinion, everyone is suffering.
00:42 It's more important to have a stable income
00:45 and to have enough rice and vegetables to eat.
00:48 This is the result of a little bit of perseverance and help from the government.
00:51 We can buy rice in the afternoon.
00:55 Sometimes, we can't afford to buy rice.
00:59 So we need to be patient.
01:01 The government is helping the poor.
01:06 They provide food and other necessities.
01:11 That's why they are getting better.
01:14 This is the result of the growing economy of the Philippines.
01:18 According to Presidential Advisor for Poverty Alleviation, Secretary Larry Gadon,
01:22 the country's poverty rate is at 23.4% this year
01:26 compared to 24.7% last year.
01:30 Gaden's great influence is the economic recovery
01:33 and the increase of jobs for the people.
01:36 The programs of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. also helped in increasing the food supply.
01:42 But there are some who are not so in favor of Gaden's vision.
01:46 Like Brother Joffel, who is a jeepney driver.
01:49 For Brother Joffel, the decrease of the number of the poor is not obvious
01:54 because he sees the possible increase of job losses due to the jeepney phase-out.
01:59 What I can say is that it's not right.
02:03 The drivers here, the ones who are consolidated,
02:07 are the ones who are really in need, the ones who are not consolidated.
02:12 Those are the poor.
02:14 The company will not accept them if they are old.
02:19 That's what they are.
02:20 Gadon also argued that he is confident in the vision of the Marcos administration
02:25 that the poverty rate will be a solo digit in 2028.
02:29 Denise Osorio for Pambansang TV in Bagong, Philippines.
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