MANILA, Philippines — An estimated 2.3 million families experienced involuntary hunger at least once in the last three months, the latest Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey revealed.
According to the survey, 9.5 percent of Filipinos experienced involuntary hunger in the first quarter of 2019.
Of this number, 8.1 percent, or about 2 million families, said they experienced moderate hunger or experienced involuntary hunger “only once” or a “few times,” while 1.3 said they experienced severe hunger or experienced involuntary hunger “often” or “always.”
The SWS defined hunger as “involuntary suffering since the survey question specifies that the hunger experienced was due to lack of food to eat.”
The hunger rate in the first quarter of the year was 1 percentage point lower than the 10.5 percent rate recorded in the last quarter of 2018, marking the second consecutive quarter where there has been a decrease in the hunger rate in the country.
The survey noted that hunger rate declined in Metro Manila from 18.3 percent to 11.7 percent — or 6.6 points. SWS said this was the first in four quarters that there was a decrease in Metro Manila’s hunger rate.
The hunger rate also decreased in Mindanao but slightly increased in Balance Luzon and Visayas.
The March 2019 SWS survey was conducted from March 28 to 31, 2019, using face-to-face interviews of 1,440 adults, aged 18 years old and above, nationwide.
Respondents were asked to answer the question, “In the last 3 months, did it happen even once that your family experienced hunger and not have anything to eat? (YES, NO).”
Those who experienced hunger were further asked: “Did it happen ONLY ONCE, A FEW TIMES, OFTEN, or ALWAYS?”
/atm