The number of Filipino families who consider themselves poor, as well as those reporting hunger, remained largely unchanged in the first quarter of 2026, according to the latest Tugon ng Masa survey by OCTA Research.
The survey, conducted from March 19 to 25 among 1,200 adult respondents with a margin of error of ±3 percent, found that 35 percent of Filipinos rated their families as poor—statistically steady from 37 percent in the previous quarter.
A plurality of 41 percent said they could not determine whether their households were poor, while 24 percent considered themselves not poor, slightly higher than the 22 percent recorded previously.
The data suggests around 9.2 million families continue to identify as poor, while a significant share remains uncertain about their economic status.
Self-rated poverty was highest in Mindanao at 55 percent, followed by the Visayas at 44 percent, the rest of Luzon at 25 percent, and the National Capital Region at 21 percent.
By socio-economic class, 58 percent of Class E respondents rated themselves as poor, followed by 35 percent in Class D and 15 percent in Class ABC. Notably, uncertainty was also high among higher-income groups, with 46 percent of Class ABC respondents unable to classify their households.
Respondents said a family needs at least P15,000 per month to avoid being considered poor, yet 38 percent reported falling short by at least P5,000.
OCTA noted that the slight decline in self-rated poverty may point to modest improvements, but flagged uneven recovery across regions.
The think tank also cautioned that the findings reflect conditions prior to recent global developments, including oil price pressures linked to tensions in the Middle East, which could affect future economic perceptions.
Meanwhile, 17 percent of families, or about 4.5 million, reported experiencing hunger in the past three months, nearly unchanged from 16 percent, or 4.2 million families, in the previous quarter. The majority, or 83 percent, said they did not experience hunger.
Among those who experienced hunger, 62 percent said it happened once, 20 percent a few times, 14 percent often, and five percent said it was constant.
Self-rated hunger was highest in the Visayas at 26 percent, followed by Luzon at 16 percent, the National Capital Region at 14 percent, and Mindanao at 12 percent. By income group, Class E recorded the highest incidence at 29 percent, followed by Class D at 17 percent and Class ABC at four percent.
Despite this, most respondents across regions and income groups reported not experiencing hunger, with the highest share in Class ABC at 96 percent.
OCTA said the regional variations suggest “localized improvements in food access,” but emphasized that food insecurity persists among vulnerable households.