SWS: Hunger incidence drops to 14-year low

MANILA, Philippines — Self-rated hunger incidence in the country dropped to its lowest level in 14 years, according to the latest Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey.

SWS said the number of Filipino families who experienced involuntary hunger at least once fell to 9.9 percent or an estimated 2.3 million families last March from 15.9 percent or about 3.6 million families in December last year.

The poll was conducted from March 23 to 27, using face-to-face interviews of 1,200 adults, 18 years old and above, nationwide.

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 SWS said.

“This is only the second time hunger has been in the single-digit range since March 2004,” the SWS noted.

The 9.9 percent quarterly hunger rate is composed of 8.6 percent (around two million families) who experienced “moderate hunger” and 1.3 percent (about 306,000 families) who experienced “severe hunger.”

Moderate hunger refers to those who experienced hunger “only once” or “a few times” in the last three months, while severe hunger pertains to those who experienced it “often” or “always” in the last three months.

The few who did not state their frequency of hunger were classified under moderate hunger, the pollster said.

Moderate hunger fell by 3.6 points, from 12.2 percent in December to 8.6 percent last March. This was the lowest since last June’s 7.9 percent.

Severe hunger fell by 2.4 points, from 3.7 percent in December to 1.3 percent last March. This was also the lowest since the 1.2 percent registered in September 2003.

Hunger dropped by 8.7 points in Metro Manila, from 14.7 percent (around 457,000 families) in December to six percent (an estimated 190,000 families) last March.

Moderate hunger in Metro Manila fell from 10 percent to 4.7 percent. Severe hunger also declined from 4.7 percent to 1.3 percent.

In balance Luzon (areas in Luzon outside Mega Manila), hunger fell by 6.7 points to 11 percent or about 1.1 million families from December’s 17.7 percent (around 1.8 million families).

Moderate hunger dropped in balance Luzon from 12.7 percent to 10 percent. Severe hunger also fell from five percent to one percent.

Hunger decreased slightly in the Visayas from 13.3 percent (about 589,000 families) to 13 percent (an estimated 583,000 families) last March.

Moderate hunger fell by 1.7 points in the Visayas, from 12.7 percent to 11 percent. However, severe hunger rose by 1.3 points in the region from 0.7 percent in December to two percent last March.

In Mindanao, hunger fell to 7.3 percent or about 390,000 families from 15.3 percent (around 802,000 families).

Moderate hunger went down in Mindanao by 6.3 points, from 12.3 percent to six percent. Severe hunger also fell by 1.7 points, from three percent to 1.33 percent.