Hunger worsens in Philippines: survey

More Filipino families went hungry in the third quarter of the year, according to a survey released by private research institute Social Weather Stations (SWS) on Wednesday.

The survey found that 22 percent of respondents, equivalent to an estimated 4.8 million families, claimed to have experienced hunger at least once in the last three months.

The results of the survey, which were first published in the local BusinessWorld newspaper, showed that the latest hunger rate is the highest since June 2013 when 22.7 percent of respondents said they experienced hunger. It was also higher than the 16.3 percent, or an estimated 3.6 million families, recorded in June.

By location, hunger incidence went up in the capital region, other areas in Luzon in northern Philippines and in central Philippines.

The SWS was quoted by BusinessWorld as saying that the 5.7- percent hike in national hunger rate was due to rising hunger among respondents who perceived themselves poor, food-poor and non- food-poor, combined with steady hunger among the non-poor.

The latest survey, conducted on Sept. 26-29, involved 1,200 respondents nationwide.