MANILA—Some 3.4 million Filipino families have gone hungry in the last three months because they lacked anything to eat, according to the latest survey of the Social Weather Station (SWS).

But the number of households that consider themselves poor stayed basically the same, the survey said.

This was up from the 2010 low of 15.9 percent (three million families) recorded last September and–given the 21.2 percent in March and 21.1 percent in June–was slightly below the 19.1 percent average for the year.

This was also four points over the 12-year average of 13.7 percent, but still far from the record high of 24 percent that hit in December 2009.

The record low is the 7.4 percent in March 2004, the SWS said.

Also, the survey showed some 9.2 million families or 49 percent of the respondents considered themselves poor, barely changed from September’s 48 percent.

Over a third or 36 percent, or an estimated 6.7 million households, considered themselves food-poor, down from 38 percent previously.

The SWS said the rise in overall hunger was due to a two-point increase in moderate hunger, or that which is experienced “only once” or “a few times” in the last three months, to 15 percent or an estimated 2.8 million families.

It said those who did not indicate frequency of their hunger are included in this category.

Severe hunger–experienced “often” or “always,”–remained at 3.1 percent or 588,000 families.

Overall hunger rose in all areas except in the Visayas where it stayed at 15.3 percent.

It increased by nearly four points in Luzon (minus Metro Manila) to 18.3 percent, almost two points in Mindanao to 18 percent and a point in Metro Manila to 21.7 percent.

Moderate hunger was up in all geographical areas: to 16 percent from 13.3 percent in Mindanao, 14.7 percent from 12.3 percent in the Luzon (minus Metro Manila), to 17.7 percent from 15.7 percent in Metro Manila and to 12.7 percent from 11.7 percent in the Visayas.

Severe hunger rose by over a point to 3.7 percent in Luzon areas outside the National Capital Region but fell by an identical amount in Mindanao (2.0 percent) and the Visayas (2.7 percent).

It fell by nearly a point in Metro Manila to 4.0 percent, the SWS said.

The pollster said the latest moderate and severe hunger scores are higher than their 12-year averages in all areas.