MANILA — An estimated 3 million Filipino families experienced hunger at least once in the last quarter of 2022, a survey by pollster Social Weather Stations (SWS) revealed.

The national survey of 1,200 adults, conducted from December 10 to 14, 2022, found that 11.8 percent of Filipino families experienced involuntary hunger, which means being hungry and not having anything to eat.

The SWS said the number is slightly above the estimated 2.89 million families in October 2022 and 2.95 million families in June 2022.

"However, it is slightly below the 12.2% (estimated 3.1 million families) in April 2022," it added.

The survey by the private pollster also showed that the number of families facing hunger is highest in Mindanao at 12.7 percent, followed by the Visayas at 12 percent, Metro Manila at 11.7 percent, and Balance Luzon — or Luzon outside Metro Manila — at 11.3 percent.

"It has been highest in Mindanao in 38 out of 100 surveys since July 1998," the SWS noted.

It explained that the 0.5-point increase in overall hunger between October 2022 and December 2022 was "due to increases in the Visayas and Balance Luzon, combined with decreases in Metro Manila and Mindanao."

Conducted using face-to-face interviews, the survey has sampling error margins of ±2.5 percent for national percentages, ±5.7 percent each for Metro Manila, Balance Luzon, the Visayas, and Mindanao.

According to the SWS, the exact phrasing of the survey question on hunger was: "Nitong nakaraang tatlong buwan, nangyari po ba kahit minsan na ang inyong pamilya ay nakaranas ng gutom at wala kayong makain?"

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