‘Involuntary’ hunger among Pinoy families down to 9.8%

THE number of Filipino families who experienced “involuntary” hunger at least once in the last three months slightly dropped to 9.8 percent, from 10.4 percent in June, the third quarter survey of the Social Weather Stations (SWS) showed.

The survey, which involved 1,200 adult respondents nationwide with a margin of error of ±2/5 percent, was held from September 28 to October 1.

The 9.8 percent hunger rating is composed of 8.4 percent who said they experienced moderate hunger in the last three months and 1.3 percent who experienced severe hunger.

SWS said hunger was highest in Metro Manila at 17.3 percent (from 15.7 percent), followed by Luzon at 10.3 percent (from 11.3 percent), the Visayas at 6.7 percent (from 9.3 percent), and Mindanao at 6.7 percent (from 6.3 percent).

Overall hunger also fell among the self-rated poor with 7.7 percent in September (from 10.8 percent in June) and the self-rated food-poor with 7 percent (from 9.4 percent).