SWS breaks down reasons for rising hunger in Mindanao, Visayas

Hunger is rising in Mindanao and the Visayas, according to the latest survey of Social Weather Stations.

According to the April 23-28, 2025 survey, the experience of hunger was highest in Mindanao at 26.3% of families, followed by Metro Manila at 20.3%, the Visayas at 19.7%, and Balance Luzon (or Luzon outside Metro Manila) at 17.0%.

The 0.9-point increase in hunger between April 11-15, 2025 and April 23-28, 2025 was due to declines in Metro Manila and Balance Luzon, combined with increases in Mindanao and the Visayas.

Hunger rose by 9.0 points from 17.3% in Mindanao, and by 5.4 points from 14.3% in the Visayas.

Leo Rando Laroza, SWS Director for Communications and Information Technology, said a total of 20 percent of Filipino families experienced involuntary hunger – being hungry and not having anything to eat – at least once in the past three months.

The survey also showed 50 percent of Filipino families rated themselves as Mahirap or Poor, 8 percent rated themselves as Borderline (by placing themselves on a line dividing Poor and Not Poor), and 42 percent rated themselves as Hindi Mahirap or Not Poor.

Laroza said the survey seeks a deeper understanding of deprivation among Filipino families.

“The acceptable is there is no hunger, that is everyone’s ideal. Sana po wala pero in reality there are really pockets of poverty sa ibat ibang bahagi ng bansa. May natitira pa ring ganun,” he said in a DZMM interview.

He said that from experience, the reasons cited by survey respondents why there is hunger “is the lack of means to get the food or the lack of supply.”

“They may have the means but there is no supply. Walang available o walang pambili,” he said.

Hunger is felt most keenly among poor families at 25.9 percent, compared to 14.1 percent among the non-poor.