A woman cares for her infant as she shops at a rice retailer at a public market in Pasig City on January 16, 2025. Jonathan Cellona, ABS-CBN News/File

MANILA (UPDATED) — President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s administration will continue to broaden some of its social programs to address poverty in the country, Malacañang said on Monday, a day after a survey showed that self-rated poverty consistently rose in the Philippines since 2015.

Fifty-five percent of Filipinos considered themselves poor this month, according to data from a Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey conducted in mid-April.

This is a higher number compared to self-rated poverty numbers in January at 50 percent, in February at 51 percent, and in March at 52 percent.

“Lahat po naman ng lehitimong survey ay kinikilala at kinukonsidera ng pamahalaang Marcos,” Communications Undersecretary Claire Castro said in a Palace briefing.

“Dahil po dito… papalawigin pa po ang mga programa para matugunan po ang mga isyu patungkol sa kahirapan at kagutuman, iyan po ang talagang ninanais,” she said.

Among the programs that the administration seeks to broaden are the Social Welfare Department’s “Walang Gutom Program,” school-based feeding programs, and the Agriculture Department’s P20 per kilo rice, Castro said.

P20/KG RICE

Castro defended the administration’s P20 per kilogram rice program that is expected to be rolled out in the Visayas in May.

“Pinapasinungalingan namin yung sinasabi sa balita na ito ay may amoy. Hindi pa nagro-roll out [yung bigas] so ito ay disinformation,” she said. 

“Dapat wala po tayong pagdududa… sa local farmers po ito kukunin,” she said.

DA promises quality P20/kg rice; farmers say program is 'poll gimmick'

Vice President Sara Duterte earlier questioned the timing of the administration’s P20 per kilo rice program as it was launched weeks before the 2025 midterm elections, and shortly after Marcos Jr. registered a steep decline in his approval ratings.

Castro said the administration was working to “sustain” the subsidized rice program in the Visayas until December, before funding for the program could be incorporated into the 2026 national budget.

P20/kg rice, a promise kept or a come-on for midterm votes?

A lawmaker has urged the government to expand the implementation of its P20 per kilogram rice program nationwide, as it may otherwise be viewed as an "election gimmick."

"Sana all, 'di ba?" said House Deputy Minority Leader and ACT Teachers Party List Representative France Castro. "So china-challenge natin ang Marcos administration na hindi lang sa Visayas, kundi gawin ito, iimplement ito sa lahat ng parte ng ating bansa."

"Kasi, mapipilitan kami magsabi na baka naman election gimmick lang ito," she added.

She also fired back at the vice-president for her criticism of the program, saying: "Bilang Vice President, wala rin naman siyang naging effort para mabigyan talaga ang ating mga kababayan ng mas murang bigas, at kalidad na bigas na makakain."

"Part siya ng gobyerno eh… Kaya lang wala siyang ginagawa," Rep. Castro added. "Sa panahon naman ng tatay niya ay hindi naman ‘yun nagawa. In fact, nagsimula ‘yung pagpapataas ng presyo ng bigas doon sa panahon din ng tatay niya, at ‘yung mas maraming importasyon ng bigas… Dapat manalamin muna siya." -- with reports from Vivienne Gulla, ABS-CBN News