Incidence of hunger in Visayas and Mindanao rose by at least five percentage points after just one week in April, according to a survey by the Social Weather Stations (SWS) released on Friday.

These findings were based on a survey conducted from April 23 to 28, just a week after the same study was conducted from April 11 to 15.

Based on the survey, hunger incidence in Visayas increased by 5.4 percentage points from 14.3 percent in the previous result, resulting in 19.7 percent.

From the previous 17.3 percent of hunger incidents in Mindanao, it increased by nine percentage points, resulting in 26.3 percent, the highest hunger experience in the country in the last week of April.

Meanwhile, hunger incidence in Metro Manila and Balance Luzon have gone down, with 20.3 percent from 26 percent in Metro Manila and 17 percent from 20.5 percent in Balance Luzon.

Joining the survey were 1,500 adults, aged 18 and above, with 600 from Balance Luzon, and 300 each from Metro Manila, Visayas, and Mindanao.

The one-week gap survey also indicated a nearly one percent growth in the national percentage of Filipino families who experienced involuntary hunger from 19.1 percent to 20 percent. Kate Christian Ravelo/DMS