Incidents of hunger in the Philippines rose during the first quarter of 2022 from 11.8 percent, or about three million families, in December 2021 to 12.2 percent, or 3.1 million families, in April.
According to the national Social Weather Survey of April 19-27, an estimated 3.1 million families experienced involuntary hunger, or being hungry and not having anything to eat at least once in the past three months.
The April 2022 Hunger rate is 0.4 points above the 11.8 percent in December 2021, and 2.2 points above the 10 percent in September 2021.
The Social Weather Stations, however, said it is 0.9 points below the 13.1 percent annual average for 2021.
The experience of Hunger is highest in Metro Manila at 18.6 percent of families, followed by Mindanao at 13.1 percent, Balance Luzon (or Luzon outside Metro Manila) at 11.7 percent, and the Visayas at 7.8 percent. It has been highest in Metro Manila in 23 out of 97 surveys since July 1998.
The 0.4-point rise in Overall Hunger between December 2021 and April 2022 is due to increases in Balance Luzon and Mindanao, combined with decreases in Metro Manila and the Visayas.
Compared to December 2021, the incidence of Hunger rose by 2.5 points in Balance Luzon, from 9.2 percent to 11.7 percent.
It rose by 0.8 points in Mindanao, from 12.2 percent to 13.1 percent, but fell by 4.2 points in Metro Manila, from 22.8 percent in December 2021 to 18.6 percent in April 2022.
It fell by 1.9 points in the Visayas, from 9.7 percent to 7.8 percent.
The 12.2 percent Hunger rate in April 2022 is the sum of 9.3 percent (estimated 2.4 million families) who experienced Moderate Hunger and 2.9 percent (estimated 744,000 families) who experienced Severe Hunger.
Moderate Hunger refers to those who experienced hunger “Only Once” or “A Few Times” in the last three months. Meanwhile, Severe Hunger refers to those who experienced it “Often” or “Always” in the last three months.
The First Quarter 2022 Social Weather Survey was conducted from April 19-27, 2022, using face-to-face interviews of 1,440 adults (18 years old and above) nationwide.
The survey questions on the family’s experience of Hunger, Self-Rated Poverty, and Self-Rated Food Poverty are directed to household heads. These items are non-commissioned and are included on SWS’s initiative and released as a public service.
