Hunger among Filipino families rose significantly in September of 2024, according to the Social Weather Stations (SWS) national survey conducted from September 14 to 23. The survey found that 22.9 percent of Filipino families experienced involuntary hunger, or being hungry and not having anything to eat, at least once in the past three months. This is 5.3 points higher than the 17.6 percent recorded in June 2024, and the highest since the 30.7 percent reported in September 2020 during the COVID-19 lockdowns.
The SWS survey revealed that the highest percentage of families experiencing hunger was in Mindanao at 30.7 percent, almost double the 15.7 percent recorded in June 2024. The Visayas also saw an increase from 13.7 percent in June to 26 percent in September. Hunger was also recorded at 21.7 percent in Metro Manila and 18.1 percent in balance Luzon.
Of the 22.9 percent total hunger rate, 16.8 percent experienced "moderate hunger," meaning they were hungry "only once" or "a few times" in the last three months, while 6.1 percent experienced "severe hunger," defined as being hungry "often" or "always." The survey also showed that 59 percent of Filipino families rated themselves as "mahirap" or poor, while 46 percent rated themselves as food-poor based on the type of food their families ate.
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