SWS: Hungry households declined by a million by end of 2012

January 8, 2013 9:30am



Some one million fewer Filipino households said they went hungry in the last three months of 2012 compared to the previous three motnhs, a new survey by Social Weather Stations (SWS) showed.

The survey, conducted Dec. 8 to 11, showed 16.3 percent of respondents, or extrapolated to about 3.3 million families, claimed to have gone hungry in the last three months.

This was down from the 21 percent - about 4.3 million households - that claimed in August to have gone hungry in the past three months, it added.



SWS said the hunger rate in December fell to a one-and-a-half year low.

It was the lowest hunger figure since 15.1 percent (3 million families) in June 2011, and was a far cry from the high 23.8 percent (4.8 million families) in March 2012.

The SWS attributed this to a better score for moderate hunger, or having had nothing to eat “only once” or “a few times” in the last three months.

However, it also noted severe hunger, defined as “often” or “always” going hungry, marginally rose.

The results of the survey were posted on SWS' media partner BusinessWorld.



“Compared to their 14-year averages, the new moderate hunger rate is now lower in Balance Luzon, equal in the Visayas, but still higher in Metro Manila and Mindanao,” the SWS said.

The SWS December survey involved 1,200 adult respondents nationwide using face-to-face interviews. Error margins of +/-3% for national and +/-6% for area percentages applied to the survey.



The respondents were asked, “Nitong nakaraang tatlong buwan, nangyari po ba kahit minsan na ang inyong pamilya ay nakaranas ng gutom at wala kayong makain?”

Those who replied yes were further asked: “Nangyari po ba ’yan ng minsan lamang, mga ilang beses, madalas or palagi? (Did it happen only once, a few times, often or always?)”

Improvements on hunger



The SWS survey found improvements in all geographical areas, although overall hunger as of December was still above the 14-year average of 14.5 percent.

It said moderate hunger went down to 12.7 percent (2.6 million families) in December from 18 percent (3.7 million families) in August.

SWS also said hunger remained above the 11-year average of 11 percent.

Severe hunger increase



However, SWS noted severe hunger slightly increased to 3.6 percent (731,000 families) from 3 percent (611,000 families).

It said this was similar to the 14-year average of 3.5 percent.

Declined most in Mindanao



The SWS said overall hunger declined the most in Mindanao to 20 percent (963,000 families) from 30.3 percent.

It said the Visayas saw a four-point decrease to 13.3 percent (516,000 families). In Balance Luzon, hunger was down to 12.7 percent (1.1 million families).

However, Metro Manila’s gain was 0.7 point to 25.3 percent (719,000 families).

Moderate hunger



Moderate hunger fell in Mindanao to 16 percent from 26 percent and in the Visayas to 10.7 percent from 15.7 percent.

It also fell in Balance Luzon to 9.7 percent from 14 percent, and in Metro Manila to 19.3 percent from 20.3 percent.

Severe hunger



However, the SWS said severe hunger barely changed in Mindanao to 4 percent from 4.3 percent and Metro Manila to 6 percent from 5.7 percent.

It also rose by a point in Balance Luzon and the Visayas to 3 percent and 2.7 percent, respectively.

“The new severe hunger rates are now lower than their 14-year averages in all areas except in Metro Manila,” the SWS said. - VVP/HS, GMA News