Hunger still a record high at 19%

MILLIONS of Filipino families are still experiencing hunger, the Social Weather Stations (SWS) reported in its latest survey.

In the First Quarter 2007 Social Weather Survey, SWS reported that the percentage of families who experienced “involuntary hunger” at least once in the past three months stayed at a record-high of 19.0 percent, or an estimated 3.4 million households.

SWS said hunger has been at double-digits since June 2004 (see table). The record-high incidence of household hunger at 19 percent was first seen in November 2006.

The survey found that hunger worsened in Metro Manila and the rest of Luzon. In the Visayas, hunger declined by four points, from 19 percent in November to 15.3 percent in February. Figures for Mindanao barely changed from 22.3 in the previous quarter to 22.7 percent.

Moderate Hunger, or families experiencing hunger involuntarily “only once” or “a few times” in the past three months, also barely went down, at 15.1 percent in November from 15.0 percent in February.

Severe Hunger, or households involuntarily going hungry “often” or “always” in the last three months, hardly changed from 3.9 percent to 4.0 percent. It remained at 5.0 percent in Metro Manila, while it declined in the Visayas, from 3.7 percent to 2.7 percent, and in Mindanao, from 5.0 percent to 4.7 percent.

The latest survey was conducted in February 24-27, 2007.

Read the First Quarter 2007 Social Weather Survey.