(Eagle News)–Hunger incidence among Filipino families decreased in March, a recent Social Weather Stations survey found.
The SWS survey conducted from March 28 to 31 found that the 9.5% or the estimated 2.3 million families who experienced involuntary hunger at least once in the past three months was one percent lower than the 10.5 percent in December 2018.
According to the SWS, this also “marked the second consecutive quarter where there has been a decrease in hunger from the one prior.”
The pollster said the 9.5% quarterly hunger is the sum of the 8.1% who experienced moderate hunger, or an estimated 2 million families, and the 1.3% who experienced severe hunger, or an estimated 327,000 families.
Moderate hunger refers to those who experienced hunger “only once” or “a few times” in the last three months, while severe hunger refers to those who experienced it “often” or “always” in the last three months, the SWS said.
The pollster said those who did not say what their frequency of hunger was, or 0.4%, estimated at 98,000 families, were classified under moderate hunger.
According to the SWS, moderate hunger decreased by 0.8 points, from the 8.9% recorded in December, while severe hunger decreased by 0.2 points, from 1.5% in December.
By area
By area, the nationwide quarterly hunger incidence of 9.5% consisted of 11.7% in Metro Manila, or an estimated 387,000 families; 10.3% or an estimated 1.1 million families in Balance Luzon; 10%, or an estimated 472,000 families, in the Visayas; and 6.1%, or an estimated 345,000 families in Mindanao.
In Metro Manila, quarterly hunger also went down, this time by 6.6 points, from the 18.3% in December, or an estimated 581,000 families.
“This is the first in four consecutive quarters where there has been a decrease in hunger incidence in Metro Manila, having risen by a total of 12.3 points through the four quarters of 2018,” the SWS said.
The pollster said moderate hunger in Metro Manila also went down by 5.3 points from 14.7 percent in December, while severe hunger by 1.4 points from 3.6 percent.
In Balance Luzon, quarterly hunger increased by 0.6 points, from 9.7% in December, or an estimated 1 million families.
Moderate hunger in Balance Luzon also increased by 0.3 points, from 8.3% in December, while severe hunger went up by 0.3 points, from 1.4% in December.
In the Visayas, quarterly hunger also rose by 0.8 points, from 9.2% in December, while moderate hunger rose by 0.9 points, from 8.3% in December.
“Meanwhile, severe hunger stayed at 0.8% in December 2018 and March 2019,” the SWS said.
In Mindanao, according to the pollster, quarterly hunger fell by 2.2 points, from 8.3% in December, moderate hunger by 1.6 points from 7.2% in December, while severe hunger decreased by 0.5 points, from 1.1% in December.
Survey background
The March 2019 Social Weather Survey was conducted using face-to-face interviews of 1,440 adults nationwide: 360 each in Balance Luzon, Metro Manila, the Visayas, and Mindanao.
Sampling error margins were pegged at ±2.6% for national percentages, and ±5% each for Balance Luzon, Metro Manila, the Visayas, and Mindanao.
