MANILA, Philippines - The number of Filipino families that went hungry at least once dropped significantly in the last quarter of 2012, according to the latest Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey.
The SWS poll, taken from Dec. 8 to 11, 2012, found 16.3 percent or about 3.3 million families who claimed they experienced having nothing to eat at least once in the last three months, down from 21 percent, or 4.3 million households, in August.
Citing the latest SWS survey, Malacañang yesterday said that President Aquino’s conditional cash transfer (CCT) program for the poorest of the poor is bearing fruit.
SWS said the latest hunger rate was the lowest since June 2011, when it recorded 15.1 percent (about three million families) and below the 23.8 percent (4.8 million families) recorded in March last year.
The SWS December 2012 survey, published in the newspaper BusinessWorld yesterday, used interviews of 1,200 adults nationwide.
The pollster said improvements were noted in all geographical areas.
However, it said the overall hunger rate as of December was still above the 14-year average of 14.5 percent. – With Delon Porcalla