1.4 M families in rural areas experiencing hunger — SWS

At least 1.4 million Filipino families in rural areas around the country experienced hunger at least once in the past three months – the second highest rural hunger percentage in the Social Weather Stations (SWS) surveys since 1998.

The third quarter SWS poll revealed that one out of five rural households went hungry, or 20.3 percent of the estimated 6.7 million rural families.

Rural hunger reached 21.8 percent in March 2001. However, it went down to 5.6 percent in September 2003, but rose again by double digits in the second quarter of 2004.

The SWS survey, which was conducted from Sept. 24 to Oct. 2, also reported that 14.8 percent, or 1.6 million of the projected 10.6 million urban households, experienced hunger.

"Hunger is almost always higher in rural than in urban areas," the SWS said.

The survey firm also said that 32 percent, or one-third of families of agricultural workers, and 21 percent, or one-fifth of agricultural operators, experienced hunger in September this year.

Agriculture includes farming, fishing and forestry industries.

Meanwhile, hunger incidence among non-agricultural entrepreneurs reached 16 percent, while non-agricultural workers posted 13 percent in the poll.

The SWS survey questions about household poverty and hunger were directed to the heads of the families.

The SWS used face-to-face interviews with 1,200 statistically representative households, 300 each in Metro Manila, the balance of Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao, from the 240 geographical spots selected from all the regions.

Error margins of ±3 percent for national percentages and ±6 percent for regional percentages should be applied, the SWS said.

The SWS also clarified that its surveys always cover both urban and rural areas contrary to the claim of National Anti-Poverty Commission chief Domingo Panganiban and Representatives Antonio Cerilles of Zamboanga del Sur’s second district and Federico Sandoval of Malabon-Navotas that the previous SWS reports on hunger focus on major urban areas.

The government recently said that by May next year, it hopes to reduce hunger incidence by 50 percent through various programs, although it believes that the problem can be solved only by providing people with jobs.

Officials say the government’s budget will not be enough to feed 2.9 million families who have no money to buy food.

Health Secretary Francisco Duque III said President Arroyo gave the time frame to reduce the hunger incidence based on the government’s and the SWS surveys.

Last week, an SWS survey on hunger incidence showed that nationwide, at least 2.9 million families, or 16.9 percent of a projected base of 17.4 million households experienced hunger in the past three months.

The survey also showed that more than half or 51 percent of Filipinos consider themselves poor. This is, however, lower than the 59 percent who said they were poor in the second quarter of 2006. Hunger incidence at this level (16.9 percent of households) was first reached in March though it went down to 13.9 percent in June. It has been at double-digit levels since the second quarter of 2004. — Helen Flores