The number of Filipino families who went hungry at least once in the past three months has risen sharply, interrupting months of improvement, according to the latest Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey on involuntary hunger.
Conducted from September 24 to 30, the nationwide poll found that 22 percent of respondents—or roughly 1 in 5 Filipino families—experienced involuntary hunger, meaning they had nothing to eat at least once during the period. The figure represents a 5.9-point increase from 16.1 percent recorded in June.
SWS data showed that 16.7 percent reported experiencing “moderate hunger,” defined as going hungry only once or a few times, while 5.2 percent said they suffered “severe hunger,” meaning they went hungry often or always.
The rise was observed in nearly all major areas except the Visayas, where hunger fell from 21.7 percent to 17.7 percent. Metro Manila recorded the highest level at 25.7 percent, up from 21.7 percent in June. Luzon outside the capital followed with 23.8 percent, while Mindanao saw the sharpest climb—from 9.7 percent to 19.7 percent.
SWS also noted that hunger remained most prevalent among poor and food-poor families. Among those who considered themselves poor, hunger increased from 21 percent to 26.9 percent. The rate among the nonpoor also rose, from 11.4 percent to 17 percent.
For self-rated food-poor households, hunger surged from 21.3 percent in June to 31.5 percent in September. Even among nonfood-poor respondents, the figure rose slightly from 12.4 percent to 15.3 percent.
The survey interviewed 1,500 adults nationwide through face-to-face interviews. It has a sampling margin of error of ±3 percent at the national level, ±4 percent for Luzon outside Metro Manila, and ±6 percent for Metro Manila, Visayas, and Mindanao.
