MANILA – Fewer Filipinos experienced involuntary hunger from July to September compared to the previous quarter, according to a survey released by the Social Weather Stations on Wednesday.
The Sept. 27-30 poll found that 9.1 percent or an estimated 2.3 million families went hungry due to lack of food in the third quarter of the year, down from 10 percent or 2.5 million logged in June, said SWS.
The latest hunger rate is the sum of 7.4 percent or around 1.8 million families who went hungry only once or a few times in the last 3 months, and 1.7 percent or around 426,000 families who went hungry always.
The quarterly decrease in the national hunger rate is due to a decrease of 7.4 points in Metro Manila, a decrease of 1.2 points in Balance Luzon, a steady figure in the Visayas, and an increase of 2.9 points in Mindanao.
The non-commissioned survey had 1,800 respondents and a sampling error margin of ±2.3 percent for national percentages.
In the second half of his 6-year term, President Rodrigo Duterte’s administration will focus on “adequate food, water, education, housing and health,” Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles said back in July. (With ABS-CBN News/PN)
