Hunger steadies in 2016 though lowest since 2004

The proportion of those who went hungry at least once in the last three months steadied from the preceding quarter and the past year, according to results of a Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey that one analyst said bared “the gravity of the problem.”

The Fourth Quarter 2016 refers to involuntary suffering Social Weather Survey – because the respondents conducted Dec. 3-6 via face-toface answer a survey question that interviews with 1,500 adults specifies hunger due to lack of nationwide with sampling error food to eat,” the survey noted margins of ±3 points for in its report. quarterly national percentages; December’s 13.9 percent ±4 percent for Balance Luzon, total hunger rate is the sum of ±6 percent each for Metro 10.9 percent (an estimated 2.5 Manila, the Visayas and million families) who Mindanao; and ±1.5 points for experienced “moderate annual averages -- showed that hunger” and 3.0 percent (an 13.9 percent or an estimated 3.1 estimated 673,000 families) who million families experienced experienced “severe hunger.” involuntary hunger at least “‘Moderate hunger’ refers to once in 2016’s final quarter, 3.3 those who experienced hunger points above the 10.6 percent ‘only once’ or ‘a few times’ in (estimated 2.4 million families) the last three months, while logged in the September poll severe hunger refers to those and 2.2 points more than who experienced it ‘often’ or December 2015’s 11.7 percent ‘always’ in the last three (or 2.6 million families). months,” the SWS explained in

Last year saw average its report. hunger at 13.3 percent – broadly The same survey also steady from 2015’s 13.4 percent showed both “moderate” and – though still the lowest since “severe” hunger rates broadly the 11.8% recorded in 2004. steady from the third quarter

“The measure of hunger and a year ago.

The quarterly hunger situation steadied across geographic areas, rising 5.7 points to 13.0 percent (estimated 399,000 families) in Metro Manila in December from 7.3percent(est.225,000families) in September, bringing the 2016 average in the nation’s capital to 12.8 percent, 3.8 points below the 2015’s 16.6 percent.

Hunger rose by 3.3 points in “Balance Luzon” to 15.0 percent (estimated 1.5 million families) from 11.7 percent (estimated 1.2 million families), leading to a 2016 full-year 13.6 percent, 1.2 points more than 12.4 percent in 2015.

In the Visayas, hunger climbed by 3.7 points to 16.7 percent (estimated 724,000 families) from 13.0 percent (estimated 565,000 families), taking the full-year average to 13.9 percent, 3.1 points higher than 2015’s 10.8 percent average.

In Mindanao, hunger went up 1.7 points to 10.0 percent (estimated 515,000 families) from 8.3 percent (est. 429,000 families), leading to a 12.7 percent 2016 average that was 3.1 points below 2015’s 15.8 percent – the lowest annual Mindanao hunger rate since 2003’s 6.6 percent.

Sought for comment, Presidential Communications Secretary Martin M. Andanar said in a mobile phone message that Malacañang “takes note” of the survey results and attributed steady hunger rates “to the rise in consumer prices” at that quarter that bore central bank expectations of a pickup: 2.3 percent in October, 2.5 percent in November and 2.6 percent in December.

“Weather disturbances, plus seasonal demand due to the Christmas holidays contributed to the uptick in food inflation which resulted in the aforementioned public sentiment.”

Also sought for comment, SocialWelfareandDevelopment Secretary Judy M. Taguiwalo said in a text message: “We take survey results such as these as reminders that government needs to work doubly hard to implement socioeconomic reforms that will have immediate and even long-term benefits for Filipinos.”

For his part, Ramon C. Casiple, executive director of the Institute for Political and Electoral Reforms, said via text when sought for comment that the survey results “speaks of the gravity of the problem.”