SWS: More Filipinos became hungry in Q3 of 2015
INQUIRER FILE PHOTO/RICHARD REYES
After registering a 10-year record low, the number of families who said they experienced hunger over three months increased during the third quarter of the year, according to a survey by the Social Weather Stations (SWS).
Survey results first published on BusinessWorld on Sunday evening, showed that a total of 15.7 percent of respondents, or an about 3.5 million families, said that they experienced involuntary hunger at least once in the three months prior to the survey from September 2 to 5.
An estimated 3.1 million families or 14.1 percent of the respondents said they experienced “moderate hunger,” which meant that they suffered from involuntary hunger “only once” or “few times” for the past three months.
Meanwhile, the number of those who felt “severe” hunger slightly dipped in the third quarter as only 1.6 percent of respondents or about 361,000 families said they felt hunger “often” or “always” for the past three months.
The latest hunger figure is three points higher than the preceding quarter’s figure of 12.7 percent or an estimated 2.8 million families.
In terms of geographic area, more respondents from Mindanao said they suffered hunger during the past three months. At total of 21.7 percent said they experienced hunger, a 7.4 point increase from the preceding quarter’s figure.
More families from Balance Luzon said they experienced hunger, registering a four-point increase this quarter at 14.7 percent.
Hunger stayed the same in Metro Manila at 18.3 percent while it dipped in the Visayas by 2.4 points to 9.3 percent.
Second quarter’s self-rated hunger, which was pegged at 12.7 percent, was the lowest rating recorded since May 2005.
The survey conducted face-to-face interviews of 1,200 adults nationwide with sampling error margins of ±3% for national percentages, and ±6% each for Metro Manila, Balance of Luzon, the Visayas and Mindanao.
