THE incidence of involuntary hunger went down by one million families in the last three months of 2012, according to a survey of the Social Weather Stations (SWS).

The survey conducted from December 8 to11, 2012, first published in the SWS’ media partner BusinessWorld, showed that 16.3 percent of the respondents, equivalent to 3.3 million households, experienced involuntary hunger in the past three months.

The figure was lower than the 21 percent, or 4.3 million households who said that they experienced hunger in an August survey. The SWS said that it was the “lowest since the 15.1 percent recorded in June 2011.”

Malacañang on Tuesday welcomed the survey result, saying that it proved that the Conditional Cash Transfer (CCT) program of President Benigno Aquino 3rd’s administration to reduce poverty is now bearing fruit.

“We also have our social feeding programs by the DSWD [Department of Social Welfare and Development]. This whole process of the CCT is to break the cycle of poverty,” Presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda said in a statement.

He said that the Aquino administration remains committed to addressing hunger as a result of poverty.

“Through social interventions such as the CCT program, which puts a premium on purchasing food for family beneficiaries and supplemental feeding programs of the DSWD, government continues to expand and enhance efforts to uplift living conditions for our countrymen,” he said

The SWS said that the incidence of hunger improved in all geographical areas but that it was still above the 14-year average of 14.5 percent.

Moderate hunger declined by 12.7 percent, or 2.6 million families in December from 18 percent, or 3.7 million families in August.

The pollster recorded a 20-percent decline (963,000) of hunger in most areas in Mindanao from 30.3 percent.

In Visayas, hunger incidence decreased by four points to 13.3 percent (516,000 families). In Balance Luzon, hunger decreased by 12.7 percent (1.1 million families) but people experiencing hunger in Metro Manila increased by 0.7 point to 25.3 percent (719,000).

The SWS polled 1,200 adult respondents nationwide through face-to-face interviews.