7.6 million Filipino households went hungry in past 3 months: SWS

MANILA - An independent survey released Sunday said the proportion of families experiencing hunger due to lack of food to eat reached a new record-high of 30.7 percent, or an estimated 7.6 million households in the past 3 months. 

The Social Weather Stations said based on its survey conducted from Sept. 17 to 20, the hunger incidence recorded this month surpassed the previous peak of 23.8 percent posted in March 2012.

The research firm said the hunger trend has been rising since May this year. 

Before this, hunger had steadily declined from 23.8 percent in March 2012 to 8.8 percent in December 2019.

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Hunger incidence in September 2020 was up by 9.8 points, compared to 20.9 percent in July 2020, and by 14 points from 16.7 percent in May 2020, and by a total of 21.9 points from 8.8 percent in December 2019, SWS said. 

The 30.7 percent hunger rate in September is the sum of 22 percent, or around 5.5 million families who experienced moderate hunger and 8.7 percent, or around 2.2 million families who experienced severe hunger, SWS said.

“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,” the research group said. 

Moderate Hunger rose from 15.8 percent in July to a new record-high 22 percent in September. This surpassed the previous record of 18.9 percent in December 2009.

Severe Hunger rose from 5.1 percent in July to a new record-high 8.7 percent in September 2020. This surpassed the previous peak of 6 percent in March 2001.

SWS also noted that hunger hit new record-highs in the Visayas, Mindanao, and Metro Manila