Malnutrition/hunger. Stock image. INQUIRER
MANILA, Philippines — More Filipinos suffer from hunger.
This situation is based on June 2023 survey findings of Social Weather Stations (SWS).
The Second Quarter 2023 Social Weather Survey released on Wednesday found that 10.4 percent of Filipino families experienced “involuntary hunger” at least once from March to June 2023.
This figure is higher than the 9.8 percent in March 2023.
It is lower than the 11.8 percent record in December 2022.
The 0.6-point rise in overall hunger rate is due to the increase in the number of times Filipinos were deprived of food in Metro Manila and nearby provinces.
Specifically, involuntary hunger rose five points in National Capital Region (NCR).
From 10.7 points in March 2023, the figure went up to 15.7 percent in June 2023.
There was also a 2.6 point-increase in involuntary hunger in areas adjacent to Metro Manila.
Lack of access to food were also confirmed in places near NCR.
It was at 8.7 percent in June this year, up from 6.3% last March.
On the other hand, the involuntary hunger rate hardly changed in Visayas.
It was at 9.7 percent in March 2023 and 9.3 percent in June of the same year.
Meanwhile, in Mindanao, the numbers decreased.
Hunger record fell by 5.4 points in the South, from 11.7 percent to 6.3 percent within the same period.
SWS also noted the involuntary hunger rate in June 2023 was the sum of 8.3 percent who experienced “moderate hunger” and 2.1 percent who suffered from “severe hunger.”
The agency defines involuntary hunger as “being hungry and not having anything to eat.”
Moderate hunger refers to being involuntarily hungry “only once” or “a few times” in the last three months.
Severe hunger refers to a condition that persons go through “often” or “always.”
The research was conducted from June 28 to July 1 using face-to-face interviews with 1,500 adults, 18 years old and above, nationwide.
It involved 600 respondents in suburbs outside Metro Manila and 300 interviewees in NCR, Visayas, and Mindanao.
The sampling error margins are ±2.5% for national percentages.
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