More Filipino families are now producing food for household consumption, according to the latest Social Weather Stations survey released this week.
The June 2025 survey found 41 percent of families produced food, a slight increase compared with 38 percent recorded last year.
Despite the increase, 16.1 percent of families reported experiencing involuntary hunger in the last three months across the country.
The hunger rate included 12.8 percent who experienced moderate hunger, and 3.3 percent who endured severe hunger, suffering frequent hunger.
SWS said families producing food experienced less hunger, with only 11 percent reporting hunger compared with 19 percent for non-producers.
Among the poor, 56 percent said they produced food, while borderline poor families reported 61 percent, showing higher coping efforts.
Meanwhile, only 39 percent of not-poor families engaged in food production, reflecting their reliance on regular income and market availability.
The survey also noted that producing food for home consumption helped households reduce hunger incidence despite the lingering challenges of poverty.
Self-rated poverty remained high, with 49 percent of families identifying as poor, 10 percent as borderline, and 41 percent not poor.
SWS emphasized food production as an important coping mechanism that helps vulnerable households survive amid economic pressures and climate-related disruptions nationwide.
The survey results showed poor and borderline families are more proactive in planting food compared with not-poor families depending on purchases.
Experts said the increase in food production reflects resilience among households but also highlights government’s need to strengthen agricultural and livelihood support.
With hunger still affecting millions, SWS urged sustained efforts addressing poverty while supporting family-based food production to ensure lasting food security.
