A Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey saw the number of families experiencing hunger due to lack of food rise to a record-high 30.7 percent or about 7.6 million households.
The poll was conducted from Sept. 17 to 20. It broke the previous record of 23.8 percent in March 2012
The 30.7-percent hunger rate in September 2020 was composed of 22 percent or 5.5 million families who experienced moderate hunger and 8.7 percent or 2.2 million families who experienced severe hunger.
Moderate hunger refers to those who experienced hunger “only once” or “a few times” in the last three months, while severe hunger pertains to those who experienced it “often” or “always” in the last three months.
Economy reopening to reduce hunger
Malacañang said on Monday the economy was being reopened to reduce the number of hungry Filipinos amid the Covid-19 pandemic.
“Unang-una, nakakalungkot itong balitang ito,” Palace spokesman Harry Roque said of the SWS poll.
“Kaya nga po tayo nagbubukas ng ekonomiya para mapababa iyong mga numero lalung-lalo na ng mga nagugutom,” he added. John Ezekiel J. Hirro