By Ellalyn V. Ruiz
More Filipino families have experienced involuntary hunger at least once in the past three months, a Social Weather Stations survey said.
The nationwide survey conducted last Dec. 8 to 16 with 1,200 respondents found out that 15.9 percent or an estimated 3.6 million families experienced involuntary hunger at least once in the past three months, 4.1 points above the 11.8 percent or an estimated 2.7 million families in September 2017.
The SWS said it is the highest recorded value for hunger since the 17.2 percent in December 2014. It noted that this gives an average hunger rate of 12.3 percent for all quarters of 2017, one point below the 13.3 percent in 2016.
This is the lowest annual average hunger rate since 11.8 percent in 2004 due to the near record-low 9.5 percent in June 2017.
The 15.9 percent hunger rate in December 2017 is the sum of 12.2 percent or about 2.8 million families who experienced moderate hunger and 3.7 percent or an estimated 841,000 families who experienced severe hunger.
Moderate hunger is referred by SWS as those who experienced hunger “only once” or “a few times” in the last three months, while sever hunger refers to those who experienced it “often” or “always” in the last three months.
