Wednesday, December 20, 2006 3.3M Pinoys went hungry
THE number of Filipino families who experienced hunger and had nothing to eat at least once in the past three months reached a new record high of 19 percent or an estimated 3.3 million, the fourth quarter survey of the Social Weather Stations (SWS) showed.
The survey, which had 1,200 respondents, was made last Nov. 24 to 29.
The previous record-high rate of hunger was 16.9 percent, reached in March and September 2006. Hunger has been at double digits since June 2004.
The new survey also showed that 52 percent of families reported themselves as “poor in general,“ and 40 percent said they were “poor in terms of food.“
Hunger rose by almost five points in Metro Manila, from 12.8 percent in September to 17.7 percent in November. It rose by three points in Luzon, from 14.7 percent in September to 17.7 percent in November.
Hunger rose by only one point in Mindanao, from 21.3 percent to 22.3 percent. It declined slightly in the Visayas, from 19.7 percent to 19 percent.
Moderate
Moderate hunger, defined as households experiencing it involuntarily “Only Once” or “A Few Times” in the last three months, rose from 12.3 percent in September to a new record-high 15.1 percent, surpassing the previous record of 12.9 percent in August 2005.
It rose by over four points in Metro Manila (from 8.2 percent to 12.7 percent) and by 4.4 points in Luzon (from 10.3 percent to 14.7 percent). It rose by less than two points in the Visayas (from 13.7 percent to 15.3 percent), and remained steady at 17.3 percent in Mindanao.
Severe hunger, defined as households involuntarily hungry “Often” or “Always” in the last three months, declined from 4.6 percent in September to 3.9 percent in November.
Severe hunger went up in Metro Manila (from 4.6 percent to five percent), and in Mindanao (from four percent to five percent). However, it declined in Luzon (from 4.3 percent to three percent), and in the Visayas (from six percent to 3.7 percent).
Budget
Overall self-rated poverty hardly changed, from 51 percent in September and 52 percent in November. It rose only by a point in Mindanao (from 53 percent to 54 percent), and in Luzon (from 45 percent to 48 percent).
Self-rated poverty declined by 11 points in the Visayas (from 66 to 55 percent). It rose by eight points in Metro Manila, from 46 percent to 54 percent.
The average monthly budget that poor households say they need to escape poverty rose in Metro Manila from P10,000 in September to P12,000 in November. It remained steady in Visayas at P6,000, and in Mindanao at P5,000. It went down in Luzon, from P6,000 to P5,000.
In terms of food, 40 percent of Filipino households considered themselves as poor, 27 percent said they are in the borderline, and 32 percent considered themselves as not poor.
Self-rated food poverty declined in the Visayas (from 55 to 42 percent) and in Luzon (from 40 to 37 percent). It barely changed in Mindanao (from 40 to 41 percent). But it rose by 7 points in Metro Manila (from 38 to 45 percent).
The survey also showed that the proportion of households experiencing hunger in the past three months is 30 percent among the self-rated food-poor, compared with only 13 percent among the not food-poor, and 10 percent among those on the food-borderline.
The survey has hunger at 25 percent among the self-rated poor, compared with only 13 percent among the not poor, and 12 percent among those on the borderline. (Sunnex)
