MORE Filipinos went hungry as the administration of President Benigno Aquino III came to a close, the latest Social Weather Stations report released Monday showed.
The survey, conducted from March 30 to April 2, said more Filipinos experienced involuntary hunger at least once in the preceding three months, with their numbers growing to 3.1 million families from the 2.6 million families estimated in the December survey, bringing the hunger rate to 13.7 percent from 11.7 percent.
The Filipinos in Mindanao said they were more hungry than last December after a six-point spike was recorded at 19 percent, equivalent to an estimated 978,000 families or 13 percent (658,000) in December, and a 2.6-point increment in Luzon outside the nation’s capital to 12.3 percent (1.2 million families) from 9.7 percent (952,000 families).
Those in Metro Manila said the hunger was less felt at 14 percent (429,000 families) from 17 percent (513,000 families), a one-point dip in the Visayas to 10.3 percent (449,000 families) from 11.3 percent (484,000 families).
Some 2.6 million families, or 11.6 percent, said they experienced “moderate hunger” (going hungry “only once” or “a few times” in the last three months) while some 481,000 families or 2.1 percent of the respondents said they were suffering “severe hunger” (“often” or “always” in the last three months).
The First Quarter 2016 Social Weather Survey was conducted via face-to-face interviews with 1,500 adults nationwide from March 30 to April 2. Presidential spokesperson Ernesto Abella said the Duterte administration will try to reduce involuntary hunger through programs to alleviate poverty.
“The Agriculture [department] is addressing that and so is DSWD [Department of Social Welfare and Development]. The clusters are addressing [involuntary hunger,]” Abella said.
