Millions of Filipinos are going hungry
The number of Filipino families experiencing involuntary hunger hit a record 21.1 percent for the whole of 2020, according to a survey conducted by the social Weather stations (sws). The results, which were published in December 2020, indicated that the average hunger rate for 2020 surpassed the previous record of 19.9 percent in 2011 and 2012, and is double the average of 9.3 percent for 2019. The highest hunger rate last year was recorded in september, when it reached 30.7 percent or 7.6 million families.
The reopening of the economy following the easing of quarantine restrictions in many areas, including the National Capital Region (NCR), certainly helped reduce the number of families experiencing involuntary hunger, which the SWS defined as hunger due to lack of food to eat. As businesses reopened, people started earning income again, which allowed them to buy basic necessities. The jobless rate eased to 8.7 percent in October 2020, from a high of 17.6 percent in April 2020, when the country was under the most restrictive quarantine status (See, “Jobless
Data ‘Improves’ But Raises New Worries,” in the Businessmirror, December 4, 2020).
However, the world is not out of the woods yet even if vaccination has started and major economies—including the top buyers of Philippinemade products—are showing signs of recovery. The United Nations World Food Programme warned that the Covid-19 pandemic, conflict and climate change would put some 270 million people at risk of starvation. Even before the outbreak of Covid-19, a report published by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) revealed 690 million people went hungry in 2019, up by 10 million from 2018 and by nearly 60 million in five years.
A report titled “The State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World,” published by FAO in July 2020, revealed that the Philippines has already been grappling with food insecurity even before the pandemic. The number of moderately or severely food insecure people in the Philippines, according to FAO’S estimate, rose to 59 million in 2017 to 2019, from 44.9 million in 2014 to 2016. FAO defined food security as “when all people, at all times, have physical, social and economic access to sufficient, safe and nutritious food that meets their dietary needs and food preferences for an active and healthy life.”
The pandemic and the trade logjam and supply bottlenecks caused by restrictions put in place to contain the spread of Covid-19 have made it all the more challenging for people in many countries including the Philippines to have access to sufficient food. In the case of the Philippines, the outbreak of African swine fever, which decimated hog farms, has made it more difficult to temper the rise in food prices. Inflation in the first quarter was mainly due to the spike in meat prices, particularly pork, and the so-called Bottom 30 bore the brunt of the acceleration in consumer prices (See, “March Inflation Slows, But Still Impacts Poor,” in the Businessmirror, April 7, 2021).
Aside from putting pressure on food prices, the continued implementation of quarantine restrictions is also limiting income opportunities for millions of Filipinos (See, “Mobility Curbs Yield Higher Jobless Data,” in the Businessmirror, March 31, 2021). This, coupled with the increase in food prices, makes it imperative for the government to find ways to improve access to sufficient food. Policy-makers can draw inspiration from various initiatives introduced by citizens, such as the community pantries that have sprouted in a number cities in the NCR and Region 4, to supplement the ayuda given to low-income families to expand access to nutritious food.