The number of Filipino families who said they have experienced involuntary hunger due to lack of anything to eat has increased to 3.5 million households in the third quarter of this year, the latest Social Weather Stations survey showed.
Based on the nationwide survey conducted from September 2 to 5 among 1,200 respondents, 15.7 percent or an estimated 3.5 million families said they experienced involuntary hunger at least once in the past three months.
SWS said this is significantly higher than the 12.7 percent, equivalent to 2.8 million families, in the second quarter survey.
However, the latest hunger rate is still much lower than the record-high hunger rate of 23.8 percent in March 2012. The lowest recorded hunger rate was 5.1 percent in September 2003.
The results of the survey, which used face-to-face interviews of Filipino adults in the country, was first published on BusinessWorld yesterday.
The SWS survey questions about the family’s experience of hunger are directed to the household head. They were particularly asked, “Nitong nakaraang tatlong buwan, nangyari po ba kahit minsan na ang inyong pamilya ay nakaranas ng gutom at wala kayong makain? Oo o Hindi?”
The increase in hunger rate was most pronounced in Mindanao at 21.7 percent (about 1.1 million families) from 14.3 percent (about 726,000 families). It also increased in the rest of Luzon to 14.7 percent (1.4 million) from 10.7 percent (1.1 million families).
Overall hunger in Metro Manila stayed at 18.3 percent (about 553,000 families). Hunger rate decreased in the Visayas to 9.3 percent (399,000 families) from 11.7 percent (499,000 families). (Ellalyn B. de Vera)