/PNA
MANILA — Hunger rate in the Philippines has significantly dropped in the fourth quarter of 2018, a recent survey by the Social Weather Stations (SWS) showed.
According to the survey, 10.5 percent or an estimated 2.4 million families experienced involuntary hunger at least once in the past three months, a significant drop from the 13.3 percent or about 3.1 million families experiencing hunger in the September 2018 survey.
The hunger rate for 2018 is at 10.8 percent and is the lowest since the 7 percent hunger rate recorded in 2003.
The 2018 hunger rate is also significantly lower than the 12.3 hunger rate recorded in 2017.
Quarterly hunger rate fell by 10 percent in Mindanao, from 18.3 percent in September to 8.3 percent in December.
Balance Luzon’s quarterly hunger rate also dropped by 3 percent from 12.7 percent in September to 9.7 percent in December.
The Visayas and Metro Manila tallied higher quarterly hunger rates at 3.2 percent and 1 percent, respectively.
Among the 10.5 percent who said they experienced hunger in the fourth quarter 2018 survey, 8.9 percent or about 2.1 million families said they experienced moderate hunger, while only 1.5 percent said they experienced severe hunger.
The survey was conducted from December 16 to 19 last year, with 1,440 respondents and a margin of error of ±2.6 percent.
