4.8M Filipino families went hungry in last 3 months; 674K endured severe hunger — SWS

MANILA, Philippines — Results from a survey conducted by the Social Weather Stations (SWS) revealed that 16.8 percent of Filipino families nationwide, or 4.8 million Filipino families experienced hunger due to lack of food at least once in the previous three months.

Of the 16.8 percent, SWS said 14.1 percent (3.6 million families) experienced Moderate Hunger while 2.7 percent (674,000 families) experienced Severe Hunger.

Moderate Hunger refers to those who experienced hunger “Only Once” or “A Few Times” in the last three months. Severe Hunger refers to those who experienced it “Often” or “Always” in the last three months.

According to SWS, the current rate is 0.8 points above the 16.0 percent or estimated four million families in November 2020, while it is 4.3 points below the 2020 annual average of 21.1 percent.

This, however, is double the December 2019 pre-pandemic level of 8.8 percent or around 2.1 million families, said SWS.

The SWS survey also revealed that per area, Mindanao currently has the highest hunger rate at  20.7 percent (1.2 million families) in Mindanao.

It is followed by Visayas at 16.3 (776,000 families), Luzon at 15.7 percent (1.8 million families), and Metro Manila at 14.7 percent (496,000 families).

Meanwhile in November 2020, hunger was at 23.3 percent (780,000 families) in Metro Manila, 16 percent (909,000 families) in Mindanao, 14.4 percent (1.6 million families) in Luzon, and 14.3 percent  ( 674,000 families) in the Visayas, said SWS.

The First Quarter 2021 survey was conducted from April 28 to May 2, 2021, using face-to-face interviews of 1,200 adults (18 years old and above) nationwide, said the SWS.

Three hundred families each in Metro Manila, Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao were interviewed.

It said the non-commissioned survey had a sampling error margin of ±3 percent for national percentages and ±6 percent for percentages per area.

“The area estimates were weighted by the Philippine Statistics Authority medium-population projections for 2021 to obtain the national estimates,” said the SWS.

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