A fourth quarter surveyed by an independent survey research institution in the Philippines said on Tuesday that the people suffering from hunger put the hunger rate to 24 percent as of December last year. The figure was a little over five points up from three months earlier and surpassed the previous record of 23.7 percent in December 2008, according to the survey made by Philippine Social Weather Stations (SWS). Government officials blamed the impact of typhoons but expressed confidence that the figure would drop as the local economy picks up. In addition, self-rated poverty was at 46 percent (estimated at 8.5 million families), down from 51 percent three months earlier, while self-rated food poverty was at 39 percent, down from 40 percent in October. The SWS said that the rise in overall hunger was due to increases in moderate and severe hunger. Moderate hunger, referring to those who experienced it 'only once' and 'a few times', rose to 19.3 percent (3.6 million families) from 15 percent (2.8 million families) in October. Included in this category were those who declined to state how often they went hungry. Severe hunger, covering responses of 'often' or 'always', rose to 4.7 percent or 870,000 families from 3.8 percent or 700,000. 