INVOLUNTARY hunger worsened in the last quarter of 2015 with more than three million families claiming to have experienced hunger in the past three months, according to the latest survey of the Social Weather Stations.
The SWS conducted the survey from Sept. 2 to 5 among 1,200 adults nationwide, with sampling error margins of ±3 points for national percentages and ±6 points each for Metro Manila, “Balance Luzon,” the Visayas and Mindanao.
The survey found that 15.7 percent of respondents, or an equivalent of an estimated 3.5-million families, said they experienced “involuntary hunger” at least once in the past three months.
The SWS said the latest hunger figure is three points up from the 12.7 percent (2.8 million families) recorded in the preceding quarter and the highest since December 2014’s 17.2 percent.
Nationwide, “moderate hunger” increased by 3.3 points from 10.8 percent, or an estimated 2.4-million families, in the June survey.
“Severe hunger” decreased by 0.3 of a point from June’s 1.9 percent, or an estimated 431,000 families, with September’s 1.6 percent figuring as the lowest “severe hunger” rate since September 2003’s 1.2 percent.
By geographic area, hunger was most pronounced in Mindanao, which has some of the poorest provinces.
Mindanao’s figure rose by 7.4 points to 21.7%, which is an estimated 1.1 million families, in September. The figure is the highest in two years or since September 2013’s result of 22.3%, from 14.3%, or an estimated 726,000 families, in June.
In Metro Manila, hunger was at 18.3%, or an estimated 553,000 families, which is the worst since the 22% recorded in September last year.
Hunger rose by four points in “Balance Luzon” to 14.7% , or an estimated 1.4 million families, from June’s 10.7%, or an estimated 1.1 million families.
The hunger reading in the Visayas went down by 2.4 points to 9.3%, or an estimated 399,000 families, in September, the lowest since March 2004’s 6.6%, from 11.7% or an estimated 499,000 families, in June.