The incidence of hunger experienced by poor families in Visayas and Mindanao almost doubled in the previous month, a Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey shows.

"As of September 2024, the experience of hunger was highest in Mindanao at 30.7 percent of families, followed by the Visayas at 26 percent, Metro Manila at 21.7 percent, and Balance Luzon (Luzon areas outside the National Capital Region) at 18.1 percent." a recent SWS survey report shows.

The survey said hunger incidence in Mindanao sharply rose by 15 points from 15.7 percent in June.

In Visayas, the hunger incidence also soared by 12.3 points from 13.7 percent in June while it slightly rose by 1.7 points in Metro Manila from 20 percent.

However, the hunger incidence in Balance Luzon fell slightly by 1.5 points from 19.6 percent in June to 18.1 percent in September.

The SWS survey from September 14 to 23 shows that more Filipino families or 22.9 percent experienced involuntary hunger compared to 17.6 percent recorded in June.

"The September 2024 hunger figure was 5.3 points above the 17.6 percent in June 2024, and the highest since the record high 30.7 percent during the COVID-19 lockdowns in September 2020. It is 13.1 points above the September 2023 hunger figure after four straight quarterly increases," the survey stated.

"The 5.3-point rise in hunger between June 2024 and September 2024 was due to sharp increases in Mindanao and the Visayas, combined with a slight increase in Metro Manila and a slight decline in Balance Luzon," it added. Robina Asido/DMS