Fewer Filipinos felt hunger in June 2021 compared to May 2021, as shown in the latest Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey results released on Wednesday, July 28.

The SWS nationwide survey, conducted from June 23-26 with 1,200 adult respondents, found that 13.6 percent, or an estimated 3.4 million families, experienced involuntary hunger due to lack of food to eat at least once in the past three months.

SWS said the June 2021 hunger rate is 3.2 points below the 16.8 percent, or an estimated 4.2 million families, in May 2021.

It is also 7.5 points below the 2020 annual average of 21.1 percent, but still higher than the December 2019 pre-pandemic level of 8.8 percent, or an estimated 2.1 million households.

SWS attributed the 3.2-point decline in overall hunger to decreases in all areas, especially in the Visayas.

Compared to May 2021, the incidence of hunger fell by eight points in the Visayas, from 16.3 percent (estimated 776,000 families) to 8.3 percent (estimated 396,000 families).

SWS said that this is the lowest hunger rate in this area since the 6 percent in September 2018.

It also fell by 5.7 points in Mindanao, from 20.7 percent (estimated 1.2 million families) to 15 percent (estimated 863,000 families); by 0.7 points in Balance Luzon, from 15.7 percent (estimated 1.8 million families) to 15 percent (estimated 1.7 million families); and by 0.7 points in Metro Manila, from 14.7 percent (estimated 496,000 families) to 14 percent (estimated 473,000 families).

SWS further explained that the 13.6 percent hunger rate in June 2021 is the sum of 11.5 percent (estimated 2.9 million families) who experienced "moderate hunger" and 2.1 percent (estimated 524,000 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.

In May 2021, moderate hunger was 14.1 percent (estimated 3.6 million families), and severe hunger was 2.7 percent (estimated 674,000 families).

In Metro Manila, moderate hunger and severe hunger are 9.3 percent and 4.7 percent, respectively, in June 2021 compared to 12 percent and 2.7 percent in May 2021.

In Balance Luzon, moderate hunger and severe hunger are 13 percent and 2 percent, respectively, in June 2021 compared to 12.3 percent and 3.3 percent in May 2021.

In the Visayas, moderate hunger and severe hunger are 7 percent and 1.3 percent, respectively, in June 2021 compared to 14 percent and 2.3 percent in May 2021.

"The latest moderate hunger rate is the lowest in this area since the 6.7 percent in September 2019, while the latest severe hunger rate is the lowest since the 0.3 percent in December 2019," SWS pointed out.

In Mindanao, moderate hunger and severe hunger are 13.7 percent and 1.3 percent, respectively, in June 2021 compared to 19 percent and 1.7 percent in May 2021.