Palace Vows to Continue Inclusive Growth Bid as Survey Shows Drop in Hunger Incidence in Q1 ‘15

A Malacañang official on Tuesday vowed the continued implementation of the Aquino administration’s inclusive growth target after a survey showed the decline to its 10-year low of the number of families that experienced involuntary hunger.

Results of the Social Weather Stations (SWS) March 2015 survey showed that about 13.5 percent of families or about three million families experienced involuntary hunger at least once in the last three months, lower than the 17.2 percent or about 3.8 million families in December 2014.

Presidential Spokesperson Edwin Lacierda, in a statement, said “the welfare of the Filipino people has always been at the front and center of the Aquino administration.”

He cited that under the Tuwid na Daan (straight path) theme of the government, several government agencies promote the administration’s social protection program to uplift the lives of the Filipinos.

These programs include the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program being implemented by the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), the K-12 program through the Department of Education (DepEd), and the expansion of PhilHealth coverage through the Department of Health (DOH).

Lacierda said these programs “contribute to a better quality of life for our people, equipping them to find better opportunities to lift up their families and, ultimately, the nation.”

“ The administration’s investment in social services—in the form of budget increases—is truly paying off,” he said.

The Palace spokesperson said results of the SWS survey “encourages us to continue our pursuit of inclusive growth.”

He pointed out that “the wide network of our infrastructure and development projects reflects the extensiveness of our agenda for progress.”

”Rest assured that in the remaining months, we will continue our vigorous efforts to empower our citizens to achieve the Filipino dream,” he added. (PNA) FPV/JS/EDS