The national Social Weather Station (SWS) Survey of April 19-27, 2022, found that 12.2% of Filipino families, or an estimated 3.1 million, experienced involuntary hunger – 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% (estimated 3.0 million families) in December 2021, and 2.2 points above the 10% (estimated 2.5 million families) in September 2021.
However, it is 0.9 points below the 13.1% annual average for 2021.
Hunger rises in Balance Luzon and Mindanao, falls in Metro Manila and the Visayas
The experience of Hunger is highest in Metro Manila at 18.6% of families, followed by Mindanao at 13.1%, Balance Luzon (or Luzon outside Metro Manila) at 11.7%, and the Visayas at 7.8%. 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% (est. 1.0 million families) to 11.7% (est. 1.3 million families).
It rose by 0.8 points in Mindanao, from 12.2% (est. 703,000 families) to 13.1% (est. 761,000 families).
However, it fell by 4.2 points in Metro Manila, from 22.8% (est. 770,000 families) in December 2021 to 18.6% (est. 636,000 families) in April 2022.
It fell by 1.9 points in the Visayas, from 9.7% (est. 462,000 families) to 7.8% (est. 373,000 families).
SWS survey: Moderate Hunger 9.3%, Severe Hunger 2.9%
The 12.2% Hunger rate in April 2022 is the sum of 9.3% (est. 2.4 million families) who experienced Moderate Hunger and 2.9% (est. 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.
In December 2021, Moderate Hunger was 9.2% (est. 2.3 million families), and Severe Hunger was 2.6% (est. 657,000 families).
In Metro Manila, Moderate Hunger fell by 3.9 points from 16.9% in December 2021 to 13.1% in April 2022, while Severe Hunger fell by 0.3 points from 5.8% to 5.6% [Chart 4, Table 3].
In Balance Luzon, Moderate Hunger rose by 1.9 points from 6.4% to 8.3%. However, Severe Hunger rose by 0.6 points from 2.8% to 3.3%.
In the Visayas, Moderate Hunger fell by 1.1 points from 8.3% to 7.2%, while Severe Hunger fell by 0.8 points from 1.4% to 0.6%.
In Mindanao, Moderate Hunger fell by 0.3 points from 10.8% to 10.6%. However, Severe Hunger rose by 1.1 points from 1.4% to 2.5%.
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