Hunger among Filipino families worsened in September, with the number of households experiencing involuntary hunger increasing by about 900,000, a Social Weather Stations survey report showed.
It was most pronounced in Mindanao, where the hunger rate went up 7 points. It rose 5.4 points in Balance Luzon and 4.3 percent in Metro Manila, while it fell 3.3 percent in Visayas.
The survey, conducted from Sept. 15 to 23, showed 13.3 percent, or an estimated 3.1 million families, experienced involuntary hunger at least once in the last three months, up from 9.4 percent, or 2.2 million families, in June.
The latest hunger rate is the highest since December last year when it hit 15.9 percent.
In Mindanao, hunger rose from 11.3 percent (604,000 families) in June to 18.3 percent (975,000 families) in September.
Hunger in Metro Manila inched up from 13 percent (412,000 families) to 17.3 percent (549,000 families) while it rose from 7.3 percent (758,000 families) to 12.7 percent (1.3 million families) in Balance Luzon.
Hunger dropped in the Visayas from 9.3 percent (419,000 families) in June to 6 percent (269,000 families) in September. —INQUIRER RESEARCH