M’nao involuntary hunger highest in Q3

By H. MARCOS MORDENO
of Mindanews .

INVOLUNTARY hunger in the past three months was most pronounced in Mindanao, the island grouping where President Duterte, the first politician from Mindanao to lead the nation, continued to get the highest net satisfaction rating in September.

Involuntary hunger in Mindanao increased by seven points, from nine percent in June to 16 percent in September, a Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey released on Friday showed.

The hunger rate for the same period went up by 5.4 points in Balance Luzon, 4.3 percent in Metro Manila but decreased by 3.3 percent in the Visayas.

The survey, conducted from Sept. 15-23, found that 13.3 percent or an estimated 3.1 million families experienced involuntary hunger at least once in the past three months.

It said the 13.3 percent quarterly hunger rate in September “is the sum of 10.6% (est. 2.5 million families) who experienced Moderate Hunger and 2.8% (est. 643,000 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 refers to those who experienced it ‘Often’ or ‘Always’ in the last three months,” the SWS explained.

“The measure of Hunger refers to involuntary suffering because the respondents answer a survey question that specifies hunger due to lack of food to eat,” it said..

“This is 3.9 points above the 9.4% (est. 2.2 million families) quarterly Hunger in June 2018. This is the highest since the 15.9% in December 2017in the past three months,” it said.

“The quarterly Hunger rate of 13.3% consisted of Hunger in Metro Manila at 17.3% (est. 549,000 families), Balance Luzon at 12.7% (est. 1.3 million families), the Visayas at 6.0% (est. 269,000 families), and Mindanao at 18.3% (est. 975,000 families),” it added.

The survey found that hunger in Mindanao rose from 11.3 percent or 604,000 families in June to 18.3 percent or 975,000 families in September.

Mindanao continued to express satisfaction over Duterte’s performance as President, giving him +77 or “excellent” in September. Since he assumed the presidency, Mindanao has consistently given Duterte the highest net satisfaction rating in surveys nationwide.

The SWS’ Third Quarter 2018 survey on net satisfaction ratings of the President, conducted also on Sept. 15-23, found 70 percent of adult Filipinos satisfied, 14 percent undecided, and 16 percent dissatisfied with Duterte’s performance as president, bringing the net satisfaction rating to +54 (% satisfied minus % dissatisfied), classified by SWS as “very good.” In June, Duterte got a personal record-low of +45 (good).

Duterte’s net satisfaction rating stayed good in Balance Luzon, at +49 in September, up by 16 points from +33 in June: good in the Visayas, at +49 in September, from +47 in June; good in Metro Manila, at +36 in September, from +34 in June; and excellent in Mindanao, at +77 (in September, from +76 in June.

Hunger in Metro Manila rose from 13 percent (412,000 families) to 17.3 percent (549,000 families), and from 7.3 percent (758,000 families) to 12.7 percent (1.3 million families) in Balance Luzon.

In the Visayas, however, hunger went down from 9.3 percent (419,000 families) in June to 6 percent (269,000 families) in September. (H. Marcos Mordeno of Mindanews)