Fewer Filipinos went hungry, says survey

The number of Filipino families that experienced hunger in September declined by one million from the previous quarter, according to a Social Weather Stations survey conducted before Supertyphoon “Yolanda” battered the central Philippines almost two weeks ago. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines—The number of Filipino families that experienced hunger in September declined by one million from the previous quarter, according to a Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey conducted before Supertyphoon “Yolanda” battered the central Philippines almost two weeks ago.

The results of the Sept. 20-23 poll, first published in BusinessWorld, showed the overall hunger incidence dropping to 17.9 percent, or 3.9 million families, from 22.7 percent, or 4.9 million families, in June.

But with the disaster caused by Yolanda, two to four million hungry individuals could be added to the list, according to Cid L. Terosa, an economist and vice dean at the University of Asia and the Pacific School of Economics.—Ana Roa, Inquirer Research