2.7 mln Philippine families experience hunger: poll

MANILA, Dec. 7 (Xinhua) -- An estimated 2.7 million Philippine families or 11.8 percent have experienced involuntary hunger at least once in the past three months, the latest result of a social survey in the country revealed on Thursday.

The survey, conducted by Social Weather Station (SWS), a polling firm, from September 23 to September 27 among 1,500 adult respondents nationwide showed a 2.3 percentage increase from 9.5 percent, or an estimated 2.2 million families, over the previous three months.

The latest data is also 1.2 percentage point higher than the 10.6 percent that was recorded during the same period last year.

The SWS defines moderate hunger as experiencing hunger "only once" or "a few times," while severe hunger was experiencing hunger "often" or "always" in the last three months.

"The few who did not state their frequency of hunger were classified under moderate hunger," the polling firm said.

The SWS said the hunger rate increased across all geographical locations except southern Philippines and was highest among the respondents from Luzon, the northern island of the Philippines.

Another survey from the SWS on Dec. 2 showed 47 percent of the Philippine families consider themselves as poor. Enditem