SWS Q3 2019: Fewer families experience involuntary hunger

SWS Q3 2019

An estimated 2.3 million Filipino families, or 9.1 percent, experienced "involuntary hunger" at least once in the past three months, the results of the Third Quarter Social Weather Survey (SWS) showed.

Involuntary hunger, according to SWS, is the type of hunger that families experience due to lack of food.

The latest figure is an improvement from the 10 percent or an estimate of 2.5 million families in June 2019, following an increase from the 9.5 percent or about 2.3 million families in March.

The survey was conducted from September 27 to 30, using face-to-face interviews of 1,800 adults who are 18 years old and above nationwide with an error margin of +2.3 percent.

Meanwhile, 600 each were taken in Balance Luzon and Mindanao with a +4 percent margin of error each. Metro Manila and Visayas each had 300 samples with an error margin of +6 percent each.

The latest figure, 9.1 percent national quarterly hunger rate in September, is the sum of 7.4 percent or an estimate of 1.8 million families who experienced Moderate Hunger and 1.7 percent or about 426,000 families who experienced Severe Hunger.

Moderate Hunger refers to those who experienced hunger "Only Once" or "A Few Times" in the last three months.

Meanwhile, Severe Hunger refers to those who experienced it "Often" or "Always" in the last three months.

Compared to June 2019 figures, Moderate Hunger went down from 8.7 percent or about 2.1 million families. Meanwhile, Severe Hunger went up from 1.3 percent or about 320,000 families.

The area estimates were weighted by Philippine Statistics Authority medium-population projections for 2019 to obtain the national estimates.

Questions of the survey on the family's experience with hunger were directed to the household head.

According to SWS, hunger rates among self-rated poor and self-rated food poor families subsided in September after rising in June.

Self-rated poor families are those whose household head rated their family as poor while Self-rated Food Poor families are those whose household head rated the food they eat as poor.

Among Self-Rated Poor families, the hunger rate fell from 16.2 percent or 1.8 million families in June, to 14.0 percent or 1.4 million families in September, following a rise from 11.9 percent or 1.1 million families in March.

Meanwhile, Self-Rated Non-Poor families rose from 4.9 percent or 664,000 families in June, to 5.6 percent or 805,000 families in September.

Among Self-Rated Food Poor families, the hunger rate fell from 17.3 percent or 1.5 million families in June to 15.8 percent or 1.1 million families in September, following a rise from 14.2 percent or 959,000 million families in March.

While Self-Rated Non-Food Poor families rose from 6.1 percent or 985,000 families in June, to 6.4 percent or 1.1 million families in September.

"At any point in time, however, quarterly hunger rates among Poor and Food Poor families are always greater than the hunger rates among the Non-Poor and Non-Food Poor," SWS said.

"Hunger down in NCR and Balance Luzon, unchanged in the Visayas, up in Mindanao," it added.

A 7.4 point hunger rate decrease in Metro Manila, a 1.2 point decrease in Balance Luzon, a steady figure in Visayas, and a 2.9 increase in Mindanao. decreased the quarterly national hunger rate.

In Metro Manila, total hunger went down by 7.4 points, from 15.7% or 520,000 families in June to 8.3% or 276,000 families in September.

Moderate Hunger in Metro Manila went down from 13.7% in June to 7.7% in September. Likewise, Severe Hunger went down from 2.0% in June to 0.7% in September, SWS said.

Total hunger, meanwhile, fell by 1.2 points from 9.3% or 1.0 million families in June to 8.1% or 893,000 families in September for Balance Luzon.

Meanwhile, Moderate Hunger in Balance Luzon went down from 8.3% in June to 6.8% in September. On the other hand, Severe Hunger went up from 1.0% in June to 1.3% in September.

Total hunger in the Visayas remained at 8.7% or 409,000 families from June to September while Moderate Hunger went down from 8.0% in June to 6.7%.

Meanwhile,  Severe Hunger in the Visayas went up from 0.7% in June to 2.0% in September.

In Mindanao, total hunger rose by 2.9 points from 9.0% in June or 508,000 families to 11.9% or 673,000 in September.

Moderate Hunger went up from 7.0% in June to 9.1% in September while Severe Hunger went up from 2.0% in June to 2.9%.  — BAP, GMA News