Around 3 million Filipino families experienced hunger in Q4 2021

MANILA, Philippines — A total of 11.8 percent of Filipino families, or an estimated 3 million, experienced involuntary hunger in the last quarter of 2021, according to survey results released by the Social Weather Stations (SWS) on Friday.

According to SWS, the 11.8 percent hunger rate in December 2021 was higher than the 10 percent or around 2.5 million families in September 2021. It is, however, lower than the 16.8 percent in May 2021 and 13.6 percent in June 2021.

“The resulting annual average Hunger rate for 2021 is 13.1% versus the record-high 21.1% for 2020. However, this is still above the 9.3% annual average for 2019, before the COVID-19 pandemic,” SWS said.

The survey was conducted from December 12 to 16 using face-to-face interviews of 1,440 adults. Respondents were asked if they have experienced involuntary hunger in the past three months.

SWS said the December 2021 hunger rate is the sum of 9.2 percent or 2.3 million families who experienced “moderate hunger” and 2.6 percent or 657,000 families who experienced “severe hunger.”

SWS said those who experienced moderate hunger are those who suffered from hunger only once or a few times in the last three months. Meanwhile, severe hunger is for those who experienced it often or always in the last three months.

In September 2021, 7.9 percent or 2 million families experienced moderate hunger, while 2.1 percent or 534,000 families experienced severe hunger.

SWS also reported that the hunger rate is highest in Metro Manila at 22.8 percent of families, followed by Mindanao at 12.2 percent, Visayas at 9.7 percent, and Balance Luzon at 9.2 percent.

The polling firm noted that the figure has been the worst in Metro Manila in 22 out of 96 surveys since July 1998.

According to the survey, the hunger rate rose by 8.8 percent in Metro Manila, from 14 percent or around 473,000 families in September 2021 to 22.8 percent or around 770,000 families in December 2021. The company said this is the highest figure in the region since the 23.3 percent recorded in November 2020.

Meanwhile, the hunger rate rose by 3.7 percent in the Visayas, from 6 percent or around 285,000 families to 9.7 percent or 462,000 families. It also increased by 1.9 percent in Mindanao, from the previous 10.3 percent or an estimated 595,000 families to 12.2 percent or 703,000 families.

However, it fell by 1.1 percent in Balance Luzon, from 10.3 percent or 1.2 million families to 9.2 percent or 1 million families. SWS said this is the lowest hunger rate in the region since the 6.3 percent recorded in December 2019.

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