Hunger rate declines, but not in NCR

Results of a recent survey found that the number of Filipinos experiencing hunger in the past three months has declined. The Social Weather Stations (SWS) reported that 17.5 percent, or an estimated 3.2 million families have experienced hunger in the third quarter of this year.

The figure is lower than that in the second quarter, when 20.3 percent, or 3.7 million families confessed to having experienced hunger at least once during the quarter.

Hunger, which, according to the SWS, “refers to involuntary suffering because the respondents answer a survey question that specifies hunger due to lack of anything to eat,” has consistently been in double digits for over five years, since June 2004.

“The 2.8-point decline in Overall Hunger between June 2009 and September 2009 resulted from a 1.5-point decline in Moderate Hunger, combined with a 1.3-point decline in Severe Hunger,” the survey said.

SWS defines moderate hunger as hunger experienced only once or a few times in the last three months and severe hunger as one experienced often or always.

The number of Filipino families suffering from moderate hunger went down, from 16 percent, or about 2.9 million families in June to 14.5 percent, or about 2.7 million families in September.

Severe hunger was experienced by fewer families in September (550,000 families, or 3 percent) than in June, 790,000 families, or 4.3 percent).

Rest of country better

SWS said that hunger declined in all parts of the country except in Metro Manila (National Capital Region).

Hunger fell “sharply” by over 10 points in Mindanao, from 30 percent (about 1.3 million families) in June to 19.7 percent (about 800,000 families) in September.

It also went down by two points in the Visayas, from 21 percent (about 775,000 families) to 19 percent (about 700,000 families), and by almost a point in the balance Luzon, from 14.3 percent (about 1.2 million families) to 13.5 percent (about 1.1 million families).

The balance of Luzon refers to all regions on the main island, except Metro Manila.

Hunger rose by more than two points in Metro Manila, from 22.3 percent (about 550,000 families) to 24.7 percent (about 600,000 families).

Moderate hunger declined by almost nine points in Mindanao, and by almost three points in the Visayas, SWS reported.

Moderate hunger, however, rose by almost four points in Metro Manila and by a point in the balance Luzon.

Severe hunger declined by two points in the balance Luzon, two points in Mindanao, and by more than a point in Metro Manila. It rose by almost a point in the Visayas.

The latest SWS survey on household hunger was conducted from September 18 to 21, 2009, using face-to-face interviews with 1,800 adults divided into random samples of 300 each in Metro Manila and Mindanao, and 600 each in the balance of Luzon and the Visayas.

Margins of error are plus or minus 2.3 percent for national percentages, plus or minus 6 percent for Metro Manila and Mindanao and plus or minus 4 percent for the balance Luzon and the Visayas. –Rommel C. Lontayao, Reporter, Manila Times