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The number of Filipino families who consider themselves poor and those who experienced hunger increased in the second quarter of 2026, according to the latest Tugon ng Masa (TNM) survey of OCTA Research.
Self-rated poverty rose by 4 percentage points to 39% in July from 35% in March, translating to an increase of about 1.1 million families who considered themselves poor.
OCTA estimated that around 10.3 million families considered themselves poor in July, up from approximately 9.2 million families in March.
Self-rated hunger also increased during the period, rising to 21% in July from 17% in March.
The increase represents about 1.1 million additional families experiencing hunger, from roughly 4.5 million in March to approximately 5.6 million in July.
Despite the increase, most families who experienced hunger said their episodes were occasional. About 87% reported experiencing hunger only once or a few times, indicating that the majority of reported cases were not frequent or continuous.
“Mindanao continues to record the highest levels of self-rated poverty and food poverty, while Balance Luzon now posts the highest incidence of hunger among the major areas. Across all three indicators, the burden remains substantially heavier among Class E households,” the research firm said.
OCTA conducted the survey fieldwork from July 4 to 11, 2026, using face-to-face interviews. One thousand two hundred (1,200) male and female probability respondents aged 18 and above were interviewed for the study.
The survey has a ±3% margin of error at a 95% confidence level. Subnational estimates for the geographic areas covered in the survey have the following margins of error at a 95% confidence level: ±6% for NCR, Balance Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao. —LDF, GMA News
