MANILA, Philippines — More Filipino families experienced involuntary hunger in the last quarter of 2017, the latest survey by the Social Weather Stations (SWS) showed.

The SWS poll, fielded on Dec. 8-16, found 15.9 percent or an estimated 3.6 million families who claimed they had nothing to eat at least once in the past three months.

This was 4.1 points above the 11.8 percent or around 2.7 million families recorded in September 2017 and the highest since the 17.2-percent hunger rate in December 2014.

“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,” SWS said.

The 15.9-percent hunger rate was composed of 12.2 percent – an estimated 2.8 million families – who experienced “moderate hunger” and 3.7 percent – about 841,000 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 few who did not state their frequency of hunger were classified under moderate hunger, the pollster said.

Moderate hunger rose from 9.6 percent in September to 12.2 percent in December. This was the highest rate since the 13.2 percent in June 2016.

Severe hunger also went up to 3.7 percent from 2.1 in September, the highest since the 4.1 percent in December 2014.

Hunger rose by three points in Metro Manila, from 11.7 percent (about 364,000 families) in September to 14.7 percent in December.

Metro Manila, however, obtained an average hunger rate of 12.4 percent for 2017, 0.4 points below the 12.8 percent in 2016 – the lowest since the 8.8 percent in 2004.

Moderate hunger in Metro Manila rose from 9.3 percent in September to 10 percent in December. Severe hunger also increased in Metro Manila from 2.3 percent to 4.7 percent in December.

In balance Luzon, the hunger rate rose from 13.8 percent (about 1.4 million families) in September to 17.7 percent in December.

Still, balance Luzon obtained an average hunger rate of 12.8 percent for 2017, 0.8 points below the 13.6 percent in 2016. It was 12.4 percent in 2015.

Those who experienced moderate hunger in balance Luzon rose from 11.2 percent in September to 12.7 percent in December. Severe hunger also went up from 2.7 percent to five percent in the same area.

In the Visayas, hunger increased by 3.6 points (estimated 427,000 families), from 9.7 percent in September to 13.3 percent in December.

The average hunger rate of Visayas, however, was still 11.4 percent for 2017, 2.6 points below the 13.9 percent in 2016. It was 10.8 percent in 2015.

Moderate hunger in the Visayas likewise rose from 8.7 percent in September to 12.7 percent in December. Severe hunger, however, fell in the area from one percent in September to 0.7 percent in December.

In Mindanao, quarterly hunger rose by 5.6 points, from 9.7 percent (around 506,000 families) in September to 15.3 percent in December.

Mindanao’s average hunger rate for 2017, though, was 0.7 points below the 2016 figure at 12 percent. This was also the lowest since the 6.6 percent in 2003.

Moderate hunger in Mindanao increased from 7.7 percent in September to 12.3 percent in December. Severe hunger also went up by a point, to three percent in December.

The SWS, however, explained the fourth-quarter figure brought the average hunger rate nationwide to 12.3 percent for 2017, one point below the 13.3 percent for 2016.

This, it noted, was the lowest annual average hunger rate since 11.8 percent in 2004, due to the near record-low 9.5 percent in June 2017.

The Fourth Quarter 2017 Social Weather Survey used face-to-face interviews of 1,200 adults aged 18 and above nationwide.

The SWS also noted that the country’s hunger rate increased by 4.1 points despite the three-point drop in self-rated poverty in the fourth quarter.

The pollster released the results of its self-rated poverty poll last Jan. 16.