While I was doing my blog on hunger myths and facts, I also checked on the state of hunger in the Philippines. I wanted to know how our country fares in terms of hunger. I came upon the results of the latest Social Weather Stations (SWS) on hunger which shows a rise in the number of hungry Filipinos.
According to the survey which was conducted in September of this year, one in five households or 21.5 percent which is an estimated 4.3 million families, claimed to have experienced having nothing to eat the three months prior to the survey. This is the highest incidence during the current administration and also higher by 7 percent of the 13-year average of 14 percent.
The SWS divided hunger into severe or moderate. Severe are those who experienced hunger "often" or "always" while moderate refers to those who experienced it "only once" or " a few times" in the last three months. Severe hunger was highest in Metro Manila where some 6.3 percent of families claimed they had nothing to eat. Moderate hunger also increased in the region at 16.7 percent.
For this survey, the SWS polled 1,200 household heads or 300 respondents for each of four regions: Metro Manila, Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao. The process of choosing respondents is random, to assure neutrality.
While this is the highest recorded hunger percentage during this administration, the SWS noted that it is still below the record-high 24 percent registered during the past administration. Earlier, the current President expressed dismay about the results of the survey done in March. At least that is better than the reaction of the President before him who said that she also experienced hunger especially when she forgets to eat. Oh well...
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