Hunger still on the rise in RP
Latest SWS survey result highest since last year’s record peak
Business World
10/19/08
Full report available at http://www.sws.org.ph
SOME 3.3 MILLION FAMILIES experienced not having anything to eat in the last three months as hunger continued to gain among Filipino households, the Social Weather Stations (SWS) said.
At 18.4% in September, the independent survey research institution’s measure is now six points above a 10-year hunger average of 12.3%. The latest figure was also the highest in four quarters since September 2007’s record 21.5%.
The SWS said it was due to an increase in moderate hunger — referring to those who had nothing to eat at least “once” or “a few times” in the last three months — which outweighed a drop in severe hunger (going hungry “often” or “always”).
A government official attributed the results to rising prices of commodities as well as the impact of recent typhoons. An economist, meanwhile, said the government needed to create new jobs and focus its social programs.
The SWS, in face-to-face interviews conducted over September 24 to 27, asked 1,500 household heads nationwide: “Nitong nakaraang tatlong buwan, nang-yari po ba kahit minsan na ang inyong pamilya ay nakaranas ng gutom at wala kayong makain? Kung oo: nangyari po ba ‘yan ng minsan lamang, mga ilang beses, madalas, o palagi? (In the past three months, was there an instance when your family experienced hunger or had nothing to eat? If yes, did it happen only once, a few times, often, or always?)”
Respondents were divided into random samples of 300 each in Metro Manila, Visayas, and Mindanao; and 600 in the rest of Luzon. The sampling error margins were ±2.5% for national percentages; ±6% for Metro Manila, Visayas, and Mindanao; and ±4% for the Balance of Luzon.
Total hunger went up two points from June’s 16.3%, due to moderate hunger rising to 15.2% from 12.1% previously. The moderate hunger result, which included those who did not state their frequency of hunger, is equivalent to some 2.7 million families and is six points above the ten-year average.
Severe hunger, meanwhile, fell to 3.2% (about 580,000 families) from 4.2% (about 760,000 families) in June, a rate equal to the ten-year average.
Metro Manila remained the area with the highest proportion of families which experienced hunger, at 23% (560,000 families), followed by the rest of Luzon at 20% (1.6 million families). The latter was also where hunger rose the furthest, by eight points, from June’s 12.3%. In Mindanao it was up slightly at 18.3% (750,000 families) but was down eight points in the Visayas to 11.7% (420,000 families).
Moderate hunger rose eight points to 16.5% in the rest of Luzon and by three points to 16% in Mindanao, but fell to 11.3% (down five) in the Visayas and to 15% in Metro Manila (one point).
Severe hunger, meanwhile, fell in all areas except Metro Manila.
Moderate and severe hunger remained higher than their ten-year averages, the SWS said, except for Visayas where the severe hunger average fell significantly.
Asked to comment on the latest hunger survey results, National Nutrition Council executive director Maria Bernardita T. Flores said higher commodity prices and typhoons had affected the ability of people to buy food.
“The people felt the impact of food and fuel price increases,” she said in a telephone interview.
Ms. Flores, whose agency oversees the government’s hunger mitigation program, added that recent typhoons also had an impact on supply.
“Weather disturbances such as typhoon Frank [which hit in June] may have affected the supply of food in the market … Weather affects the supply of food in the market and less supply leads to a higher price,” she said.
The government, Ms. Flores said, would have to boost spending on agriculture and infrastructure to address supply and employment issues, and push existing pro-poor programs.
“It is incumbent upon the agencies to fast track the utilization of their funding. This includes the funding for projects … [that] will improve production of food and will create jobs for the locals,” she said.
“We will also continue our interventions like the food-for-school program, the bagsakan (market points) where people can buy cheap vegetables and the Tindahan Natin where the poor can avail of lower-priced commodities…”
Rolando T. Dy, executive director of the University of Asia and the Pacific’s Center for Food and Agribusiness, said not having income security was a factor in the hunger measure.
“There are two factors that should be noted: First, the prices of food went up. Second, people will not complain if they are income secure. If you have no job and prices of food rise and you have no income security, then this will lead to hunger,” he said.
“Job creation will help provide income security. The government must make sure that its targeted rice subsidy reaches many poor people. Local governments can also do something,” Mr. Dy recommended. — from a report by Alexis Douglas B. Romero