MANILA, Philippines - The number of Filipino families who claimed they have experienced hunger due to lack of anything to eat in the past three months reached 4.1 million households, up by 700,000 families from the previous survey period, based on the latest Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey results.
The survey showed that 51 percent or an estimated 10.4 million families consider themselves mahirap or poor, or two points higher than the 49 percent last November.
But President Aquino does not buy the survey results.
He said he could "not reconcile" the survey figures showing more Filipinos are supposedly poor and hungry with the many jobs generated from the influx of investments in the country.
In the nationwide survey conducted last March 4-7 by SWS-BusinessWorld showed that of the 1,200 respondents, 20.5 percent or an estimated 4.1 million families claimed they experienced hunger at least once in the last three months.
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.
Survey questions about household hunger are directed to the household head, using the phrase "experienced hunger, and did not have anything to eat (nakaranas ng gutom at wala kayong makain)."
SWS noted that the latest figure is higher by 700,000 families from the 3.4 million (18.1 percent) households last November. SWS said the increase in overall hunger resulted from the gain for both moderate and severe hunger rates.
Moderate hunger, which refers to those experiencing it only once or a few times, rose to 15.7 percent or an estimated 3.2 million families from 15 percent or 2.8 million families in the last survey period.
Severe hunger, which refers to those who experienced it often or always increased to 4.7 percent or 950,000 families from 3.1 percent or 588,000 families.
Concerning geographic area, overall hunger is at its all-time high with 25 percent or 2.2 million families in Balance Luzon from 18.3 percent or 1.5 million families.
Self-rated poverty rose in all areas except Metro Manila, where it fell 10 points to 34 percent from 44 percent.
An eight-point increase was recorded in the Visayas (61 percent from 53 percent), a five-point gain in Mindanao (49 percent from 44 percent), and by a three-point rise in Luzon (54 percent from 51 percent).
It also rose by four points to 59 percent in rural areas and by three points to 45 percent in urban areas.
Self-rated food poverty fell by four points to 24 percent in Metro Manila but increased in other areas, 51 percent in the Visayas, 42 percent in Balance Luzon, and 38 percent in Mindanao.
President Aquino questioned the manner by which SWS determined its survey respondents on the issue of poverty and hunger, saying the pollster did not consider the beneficiaries of the government's conditional cash transfer (CCT) program.
Aquino, speaking to reporters during in Pangasinan, said the bulk of the survey data came from the National Capital Region and the rest of Luzon, which had fewer recipients of the cash subsidy.
"The bulk of the beneficiaries of the CCT are in Visayas and Mindanao. The statistical sample used in the survey did not capture those who benefited from our CCT program," he said.
Despite his uncertainties on the survey method, Aquino still said he has asked Department of Labor and Employment and the Department of Social Welfare and Development to verify the hunger and poverty figures and make the necessary measures to uplift their conditions.
