MANILA - More Filipinos experienced involuntary hunger in December 2023 compared to three months prior, according to a study of the Social Weather Stations (SWS).

The survey found that 12.6 percent of Filipinos experienced involuntary hunger in December 2023, slightly higher than 9.8 percent in September of the same year.

Of this figure, 11.2 percent of respondents said they experienced moderate hunger while 1.4 percent experienced severe hunger.

"Tinanong namin yung household head kung ang pamilya ba nila ay nakaranas ng gutom o involuntary hunger nitong nakalipas na 3 buwan," said Leo Laroza, SWS Director for Communications and Information Technology.

Hunger spiked in Mindanao to 12.0 percent in December from 6.7 percent in September.

Involuntary hunger also rose in Luzon areas outside the capital region and Visayas, while Metro Manila numbers went down.

The 2023 annual average rate is slightly lower compared to 2022, but is still higher pre-pandemic.

"Ang overall annual average for the year of 2023 ay nasa 10.7 percent, at ang 10.7 percent na ito ay bahagyang mas mababa sa annual average ng 2022 pero mas mataas pa rin ito noong prepandemic noong 2019, kung saan may 9.3 percent," Laroza said.

SWS said that inflation contributed to the number of people experiencing hunger.

"Through history and data analysis, nakita na namin na variable o yung tanong tungkol sa poverty at hunger ay affected ng inflation. Ito yung pagtaas ng presyo ng basic commodities," he said.

"Historically nakikita natin na kung titingnan last year, pumalo sa 6 percent inflation noong September 2023. By the time na nag-survey kami noong December, ramdam pa rin ang mataas na inflation," Laroza added.

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SWS said hunger had been steadily declining until the COVID 19 pandemic, when it reached "catastrophic' levels.

"Ang trend talaga ng hunger ay pababa simula noong kalagitnaan ng Noynoy Aquino administration, at nakita namin to na napakagandang trend sana ng pagbaba, tuluy-tuloy all the way hanggang sa Duterte administration. Ngunit ito ay na-interrupt dahil sa pandemic," he said.

"Doon namin nakita ang record high hunger pumalo mahigit 30 percent, ito yung tinatawag naming catastrophic. Hindi lang hunger, pati poverty, bumagsak din moral indicators, like yung optimism with personal life," he added.

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But SWS said it was hopeful for recovery.

"We hope to see hunger to wag na sana pumalo in the coming quarters, we hope to see a downward trend on this, it's stabilizing, it's recovering from the pandemic, but not fully recovered to before the pandemic," Laroza ended.

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