SWS: Hunger among Filipino families at highest since 2012
Some 7.6 million Filipino families experienced hunger at least once in the past three months, the highest since 2012, as the country continues to battle the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, a survey of the Social Weather Stations suggests.
The survey, conducted from September 17 to 20, showed that 30.7% experienced hunger due to lack of food to eat amid the ongoing health crisis, higher than the 20.9% recorded in July.
The latest figure was the highest recorded since March 2012 when 23.8% of the respondents reported experiencing hunger.
“The hunger t rend has been rising since May 2020, up setting a previous favorable trend when hunger steadily declined from 2012 2019,” number households moderate Broken to 23.8% SWS 8.8% hunger of who said. in down, in Filipino December dealt March soared with t he to million 15.8% 22%— in families—from July. or around Meanwhile, 5.5 those severe who hunger experienced rose to 8.7%— or around 2.2 million families— from 5.1% in July. Moderate hunger refers to those who experienced hunger“only once” or a “few times,” while severe hunger refers to those who experienced it “often or always.”
The SWS poll found that hunger was highest in Visayas at 40.7% ( 1.3 million families). It was followed by Mindanao at 37.5% ( 2.1 million families ), outbreak epicenter Metro Manila at 28.2% (941,000 families) and Balance Luzon at 23.8% (2.6 million families).
The survey also showed that incidence of hunger among households of non-elementary graduate respondents increased to 47.7% from 35.6%. It was followed by families of elementary graduate respondents at 35.9%, families of junior high school graduate respondents at 30.9% and households of college graduate respondents at 15.8%.
A total of 1,249 adult Filipinos were surveyed using mobile phone and computer- assisted telephone interviews.
The study had margin of error of ±2% for national percentage, ± 6% for Metro Manila, ±5% for Balance Luzon, ± 6% for the Visayas, and ± 6% for Mindanao).
A separate SWS survey found that 57% of adult Filipinos fearing the worst of the COVID- 19 crisis is yet to come.
The new coronavirus has so far infected over 304,000 people in the Philippines nearly eight months since a COVID-19 case was first recorded. Of the figure, 252,510 have recovered, while 5,344 have died.