The March 2017 Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey indicated that there was no change in the respondents’ personal quality of life from last December 2016 survey which stood at +16. This means that life for Filipinos did not become worse in the two quarters the survey was done.

Net personal optimism was registered at +36 which could be attributed to respondents feeling the pinch of inflation last March following the increase in electricity cost due to the Malampaya maintenance shutdown and upward price adjustments in gasoline, diesel, kerosene and LPG.

Rest assured that government did everything to stabilize the power supply throughout the country and to manage our inflation rate within the government target.

The Administration remains focused in bringing prosperity to all, especially to the disadvantaged and marginalized sectors. We have therefore initiated several pro-poor undertakings, such as free medicine to indigents, higher pension for seniors, increased combat duty pay and combat incentive pay for soldiers and policemen, additional rice subsidy to our conditional cash transfer recipients, and the microfinancing system (or pondo sa pagbabago at pag-asenso), which we have already piloted in some areas.