Hungry Filipinos families double in number since COVID — SWS

The number of Filipino families that experienced hunger in the past three months has doubled to around 4.2 million as the country continues to deal with the coronavirus (COVID-19) crisis, the latest Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey showed.

In a survey conducted May 4-10 among 4,010 respondents, SWS found that 16.7 percent of them experienced involuntary hunger or hunger due to lack of food beginning February.

According to the SWS, the latest figure is twice higher than the 8.8 percent hunger rate in December, 2019, or about 2.1 million families, and is the highest since September, 2014, when it was 22 percent or 4.8 million families.

The result is made up of 13.9 percent of total Filipino families that experienced "moderate hunger" or those who experienced hunger "once" or "a few times" in the last three months, and 2.8 percent who experienced "severe hunger" or those who experienced it "often" or "always."

The survey also found out that 99 percent of Filipino families have already received relief food package, mostly from the government, since the crisis.

Hunger rate rises in all areas The country's hunger rate is based on the hunger rate of Metro Manila, with 20.8 percent of its total population; Balance Luzon, whole Luzon (except Metro Manila) with 12.6 percent; Visayas, with 14.6 percent; and Mindanao, with 24.2 percent.

Balance Luzon and Mindanao both posted the largest number of hungry families with about 1.4 million each.

According to SWS, the increased hunger rate of May, 2020, was due to the rise of hunger rate in all parts of the country, as based on a December 2019 survey.

In Metro Manila, it rose from 9.3 percent to 20.8 percent; in Balance

Luzon, from 6.3 percent to 12.6 percent; in Visayas, from 9.3 percent to 14.6 percent; and in Mindanao, from 12.7 percent to 24.2 percent.

Most of those who experienced hunger were families with fewer years of formal schooling, SWS said. It was 21.1 percent among non-elementary graduates and 24.4 percent among elementary graduates, compared to 16.5 percent among high school graduates and 6.9 percent among college graduates.

The survey, according to SWS, was conducted via phone or computer-assisted telephone interview. The respondents were from various parts of the country, whose contact details were previously shared to SWS during face-to-face interviews.

It said that the sampling margin of error stands at ±2 percent for national percentage, ±6 percent for Metro Manila, ±2 percent for Balance Luzon, ±3 percent Visayas, and ±3 percent in Mindanao.