Hunger incidence hits record high - SWS

Hunger incidence among Filipino families reached a new record high of 23.7 percent, or about 4.3 million households experiencing involuntary hunger at least once in the past three months, the Social Weather Stations (SWS) reported yesterday.

The latest figure surpassed the previous record of 21.5 percent in September 2007 and was 11 points above the 10-year average of 12.6 percent, according to the Fourth Quarter 2008 Social Weather Survey.

The non-commissioned survey fielded over Nov. 28 to Dec. 1 used face-to-face interviews of 1,500 adults divided into random samples of 300 each in Metro Manila, Visayas, and Mindanao and 600 in balance Luzon.

“Hunger has now been at double-digits for over four years, since June 2004. The hunger average of 2008 is 18.5 percent, higher than the 2007 average of 17.9 percent,” the SWS said.

The measure of hunger refers to involuntary suffering because the respondents answer a survey question that specifies hunger due to lack of anything to eat, the survey firm explained.

The new poll showed a rise in Total Hunger by five points between September and December that resulted from a three-point increase in Moderate Hunger and a two-point increase in Severe Hunger.

Moderate Hunger refers to those who experienced it “only once” or “a few times” in the last three months. It rose from 15.2 percent (estimated 2.7 million families) in September to a new record-high 18.5 percent (estimated 3.3 million families) in December.

“The latest score is nine points above the ten-year average Moderate Hunger rate of 9.2 percent. The few who did not state their frequency of Hunger were also placed in this category,” the SWS said.

Severe Hunger refers to those who experienced it “often” or “always” in the last three months. It went from 3.2 percent (about 580,000 families) in September to 5.2 percent (about 940,000 families) in December.

“The new rate is two points above the 10-year average Severe Hunger rate of 3.3 percent,” the SWS said.

Record-highs in MM, Mindanao

SWS said hunger incidence jumped to record-highs in Mindanao and Metro Manila.

“The proportion of households experiencing Hunger is now highest in Mindanao, with the latest figure jumping to 33.7 percent (estimated 1.4 million families), a new record-high in that area,” the SWS said.

It is now also at record-high 23.3 percent (estimated 570,000 families) in Metro Manila, 20.7 percent (estimated 750,000 families) in the Visayas, and 20 percent (estimated 1.6 million families) in balance Luzon, the SWS said.

Overall hunger rose by 15 points in Mindanao, from 18.3 percent in September to 33.7 percent in December.

It rose by nine points in the Visayas from 11.7 percent to 20.7 percent.

It barely changed in Metro Manila, from 23 percent in the previous quarter to 23.3 percent now, while it stayed at 20 percent in balance Luzon.

Moderate Hunger rose by almost 12 points in Mindanao, from 16 percent in September to a record-high 27.7 percent, by seven points in the Visayas, from 11.3 percent to a record-high 18 percent, and by three points in Metro Manila, from 15 percent to 18.3 percent, the SWS said.

It declined by two points in balance Luzon, from 16.5 percent to 14 percent.

“In all areas, the latest Moderate Hunger rates remain higher than their ten-year averages,” the SWS said.

Severe Hunger declined by three points in Metro Manila, from eight percent in September to five percent in December.

It rose by almost four points in Mindanao, from 2.3 percent to six percent, by almost three points in balance Luzon, from 3.5 percent to a new record-high of six percent, and by two points in the Visayas from 0.3 percent to 2.7 percent.

“The latest Severe Hunger figures remain higher than their ten-year averages in all areas except Visayas, where its latest score of 2.7 percent was slightly lower than its ten-year average of 3.1 percent,” the SWS said.

SWS said survey questions about household hunger were directed to the household head.

The survey has sampling error margins of ±2.5 percent for national percentages, plus or minus six percent for Metro Manila, Visayas and Mindanao, and plus or minus four percent for balance Luzon.

Palace admits difficulty in fight vs hunger

Malacañang admitted that the fight against hunger and poverty was very difficult, particularly in the past 12 months, as the government had to address the impacts of the global financial crisis.

Reacting to the latest SWS survey on hunger, deputy presidential spokesperson Lorelei Fajardo emphasized that the Arroyo administration has put in place a strong anti-poverty and anti-hunger program.

“But the past 12 months have been difficult for us and the President has made it her personal mission to help the poorest among us survive this global financial meltdown,” Fajardo said.

The latest survey results came in spite of the efforts of the government to address hunger through huge expenditures on social welfare programs using the proceeds from the value added tax on oil.

For 2009, Fajardo noted that the government would be spending even more to address the needs of the poor, as the full impact of the global financial crisis will be felt at that time.

“The DSWD (Department of Social Welfare and Development), for one, will get a P5-billion budget increase to support its pro-poor programs, particularly the 4 Ps – Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program – a flagship project of the President which provides subsidies to poor families and is expected to help 321,000 households,” Fajardo said.

DSWD: Intensify, sustain anti-poverty programs

DSWD Secretary Esperanza Cabral said the results of the latest SWS survey indicated the need to intensify and sustain ongoing government poverty-alleviation programs.

She said the Arroyo government continues to allocate funds for the DSWD’s pro-poor programs such as the 4Ps.

“This means more work not only for the DSWD but for the rest of the government. More importantly, we should also help ourselves,” Cabral said in a phone interview.

Cabral said an additional 320, 000 families will receive cash assistance from the government, bringing to 640, 000 the total number of program beneficiaries.

She said this is 13 percent of the total number of poor families nationwide.

Cabral yesterday launched the 4Ps and “Katas ng VAT-Tulong Para Kay Lolo at Lola” projects in Saranggani province.

She, together with Marikina Mayor Marides Fernando, also distributed toys to children affected by the ongoing clashes between the military and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front. – With Marvin Sy