MANILA — Some 2.9 million Filipino families experienced involuntary hunger in the third quarter of 2022, hardly changed compared to 3 months ago, according to a Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey released Saturday.

The Sept. 29 to Oct. 2, 2022 poll, which is the first SWS survey under the administration of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., found that 11.3 percent of families had nothing to eat at least once in the past 3 months.

This is similar to 11.6 percent or an estimated 2.9 million families who went hungry in June 2022, and is slightly below the 12.2 percent or 3.1 million families in April 2022.

"However, it is still 1.3 points above the 10 percent (estimated 2.5 million families) in September 2021, and 2.0 points above the pre-pandemic annual average of 9.3 percent in 2019," noted the SWS.

• SWS survey shows 3.1-M Filipino families experienced hunger in 2022 Q1

The SWS said October 2022 hunger rate is the sum of 9.1 percent (2.3 million families) who experienced Moderate Hunger and 2.2 percent (573,000 families) who experienced Severe Hunger.

Moderate hunger refers to those who experienced hunger “only once” or “a few times” in the last 3 months. Meanwhile, severe hunger refers to those who experienced it “often” or “always.”

• SWS: Fewer Filipino families went hungry in Q2 of 2022

The SWS said the 0.3-point decline in "overall hunger" is due to a slip in "Balance Luzon" or Luzon areas outside Metro Manila.

However, the hunger rate rose in Metro Manila, the Visayas, and Mindanao, said the pollster.

Hunger is highest in Metro Manila at 16.3 percent of families, followed by Mindanao at 15.3 percent, Balance Luzon at 9.6 percent, and the Visayas at 7.0 percent.

It has been highest in Metro Manila in 25 out of 99 surveys since July 1998.

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