The number of Filipinos who experienced hunger in the past three months increased to 4.4 million households last December from 3.5 million families in October 2009, according to the latest Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey results.

The SWS nationwide survey conducted from December 5 to 10, 2009 among 2,100 respondents showed that 24 percent or an estimated 4.4 million Filipino families experienced hunger at least once during the last quarter of 2009.

The measure of hunger refers to involuntary suffering. The respondents answered a question that specifies hunger due to lack of anything to eat.

The questions were directed to the household head, using the phrase “experienced hunger, and did not have anything to eat (nakaranas ng gutom at wala kayong makain).”

SWS said the latest figure is higher by 5.1 percent than the October 2009 figure of 18.9 percent or 3.5 million families who claimed they experienced hunger.

The survey result on hunger was released simultaneous with a survey conducted to determine the number of Filipinos who consider themselves “mahirap” or poor.

SWS found that self-rated poverty was at 46 percent or estimated at 8.5 million families, down from 51 percent in October. Meanwhile, self-rated food poverty was at 39 percent, down from 40 percent in October.

Overall hunger was also slightly higher than the all-time high hunger rate of 23.7 percent in December 2008.

The pollster explained that the 5.1-point increase in overall hunger can be attributed to a rise in the percentages of Filipinos who experienced moderate and severe hunger in the past three months.

The survey found that overall hunger in all areas increased, with the highest addition in Metro Manila from 16 percent (390,000 families) in October to 27 percent (665,000 families) last December.