Now even the Philippine president admits experiencing hunger in the last three months.

The Philippine leader made the statement after a survey by the Social Weather Stations showed that one out of every five Filipinos experienced hunger in the last three months.

Arroyo said, "Because the question was, 'Did you miss one meal during the last three months?' Even I have missed one meal in the last three months."

However, Arroyo acknowledged the need to raise the income of Filipinos so that they would have the means to buy food, especially the coconut farmers, who were considered among the poorest based on a government study.

Arroyo had ordered an intensified drive to curb hunger in six months by lowering prices of commodities, by refilling the stocks of rolling stores and village pharmacies called "Botika ng Masa [Pharmacy of the Masses]."

But in its survey, the Social Weather Stations had qualified the question on hunger.

"By using the phrase 'experienced hunger, and did not have anything to eat,' the hunger item specifically refers to involuntary suffering," a spokesman said.