‘INVOLUNTARY HUNGER’ RISING

Survey finds that that 7.6 million households in Philippines ate nothing at least once this month

ASURVEY reveals an alarming increase in the number of families experiencing involuntary hunger in the Philippines this month.

The latest mobile phone survey was conducted by the Social Weather Stations (SWS) from Sept 1 7 t o 2 0, a c c o r d i n g t o t h e Philstar.com portal.

The poll found 30.7 per cent, or an estimated 7.6 million households, experienced having nothing to eat at least once.

It was also the highest ever recorded as before this it was 23.8 per cent in March of 2012.

The SWS nationwide poll was conducted using mobile phone and computer-assisted telephone interviewing of 1,249 adult Filipinos from the age of 18.

The SWS also revealed the hunger trend has been rising since May this year.

It was up by 9.8 points from 20.9 per cent in July this year, by 14 points from 16.7 per cent in May, and by a total of 21.9 points from 8.8 per cent in December last year.

On the 30.7 per cent hunger rate, it includes 22 per cent or an estimated 5.5 million families who experienced moderate hunger and 8.7 per cent (or about 2.2 million families) who experienced severe hunger.

Moderate hunger refers to those who experienced hunger “only once” or “a few times” in the last three months while severe hunger pertains to those who experienced it “often” or “always” in the last three months.

By area, overall hunger rose in the Visayas from 27.2 per cent (about 1.3 million families) in July to a new record-high of 40.7 per cent (around 1.9 million families) this month.

It rose in Mindanao, up from 24.2 per cent (an estimated 1.4 million families) in July to a new record-high of 37.5 per cent (approximately 2.1 million families) this month.

In Metro Manila, it increased from 16.3 per cent (about 546,000 families) in July to a new recordhigh of 28.2 per cent (around 941,000 families) this month.

It went up in balance in Luzon from 17.8 per cent (around two million families) in July to 23.8 per cent (about 2.6 million families) this month.

Overall hunger rose among households of non-elementary graduate respondents from 35.6 per cent to 47.7 per cent, among households of elementary graduate respondents from 26.8 per cent to 35.9 per cent.

Among households of junior high school graduate respondents from 20.9 per cent to 30.9 per cent.

Among households of college graduate respondents from 8.9 per cent to 15.8 per cent.

EPA PIC People buying food from a roadside food vendor in Antipolo, Rizal, east of Manila on Sunday. A survey shows that a hunger trend has been rising since May.