Results of the July 2012 national survey on hunger revealed that moderate hunger decreased from 18 per cent in the first quarter of 2012 to 13.7 per cent in the second quarter. According to the survey, severe hunger fell from 5.8 per cent to 4.8 per cent. Monsoon rains and tropical storms that hit the northern Philippines beginning in August 2012 have caused the displacement of over one million people. In Central Mindanao, conflict erupted between armed groups and government security forces in August 2012, resulting in the displacement of approximately 34,000 persons.
Rice production for the first half of 2012 was 4.2 per cent higher than in the previous year. Food prices remain generally stable.
More rainfall is expected in the remainder of the typhoon season, through December 2012. There is a 50-per cent chance that El Niño will develop towards the end of 2012. According to the national meteorological department, the El Niño phenomenon could explain the strong monsoon in the Philippines. This could potentially affect crop production and marine fisheries in the country.
October 2012