MANILA, Philippines – More Filipino families experienced involuntary hunger at least once in the last quarter of 2016, according to the latest Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey.
The poll, conducted from Dec. 3 to 6, found 13.9 percent or an estimated 3.1 million families who claimed to have experienced involuntary hunger at least once.
The latest hunger rate was 3.3 points up from the 10.6 percent (2.4 million families) recorded in September 2016 and 2.2 points higher than December 2015’s 11.7 percent (2.6 million families).
The measure of hunger refers to involuntary suffering because the respondents answer a survey question that specifies hunger due to lack of food to eat, the pollster said.
December’s total hunger rate was composed of 10.9 percent (around 2.5 million families) who experienced “moderate hunger” and three percent (an estimated 673,000 families) who suffered “severe hunger.”
Moderate hunger refers to those who experienced hunger “only once” or “a few times” in the last three months, while severe hunger refers to those who experienced it “often” or “always” in the last three months, the SWS said.
Hunger rate rose to 13 percent (estimated 399,000 families) in Metro Manila in December from 7.3 percent (around 225,000 families) in September.
It increased by 3.3 points in balance Luzon to 15 percent (estimated 1.5 million families) from 11.7 percent (1.2 million families).
In the Visayas, hunger rate climbed to 16.7 percent (estimated 724,000 families) from 13 percent (565,000 families).
It also went up 1.7 points in Mindanao to 10 percent (estimated 515,000 families) from 8.3 percent (429,000 families).
According to SWS, last year’s average hunger rate was 13.3 percent, almost similar to 2015’s 13.4 percent. However, it was still the lowest since the 11.8 percent recorded in 2004.
The survey used face-to-face interviews with 1,500 adults nationwide and has sampling error margins of plus or minus three percentage points for quarterly national percentages; plus or minus four percentage points for balance Luzon, and plus or minus six percentage points each for Metro Manila, the Visayas and Mindanao.
‘Hunger due to inflation, weather’
Reacting to the SWS survey, Malacañang said price hikes and weather disturbances might have contributed to the incidence of hunger.
Presidential spokesman Ernesto Abella assured the public that the Duterte administration would work double time to address hunger and poverty.
“The government needs to work double time to implement socio-economic reforms,” Abella said. – With Christina Mendez