Malacañang has attributed the decline in the number of Filipinos rating themselves as poor to the increasing vaccination rate in the country which is key to opening up more economic activities.

The Third Quarter 2021 Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey showed that from 48 percent in June 2021, the number of Filipino families rating themselves as "mahirap" decreased to 45 percent in September 2021.

Acting Presidential Spokesperson Karlo Nograles said Sunday, Nov. 28, that the apparent boost in the level of public morale can be attributed to the country's efforts in reopening the economy and bouncing back from the impacts of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic.

"The results of the survey—particularly the decrease of Filipino families rating themselves as "mahirap," from 48 percent in June 2021 to 45 percent in September 2021—show that progress has been made in our efforts to reopen the economy and bounce back from the adverse economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic," Nograles said in a statement.

"The government believes that the increase in percentage of the vaccinated population and the drop in new COVID infections put us in a position to safely expand economic activities that will positively impact employment and reduce poverty," he added.

The Cabinet Secretary also said that the economic team estimates that placing Metro Manila, the center of trade and business in the Philippines, under Alert Level 2, with health and safety protocols still in place, "will boost the economy by P3.6 billion and employment by 16,000 per week."

"We thank those in government, the private sector, and our people for doing their part to revitalize our economy so that we can resume the positive strides we were making in reducing poverty prior to the pandemic," Nograles said.

He also expressed that the government acknowledges the SWS for conducting and publishing its third quarter of 2021 survey, a regular initiative that provides the government with useful indicators it can use to calibrate its programs and policies.