MANILA, Philippines — Amid worsening hunger problems in the Philippines, President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos told government agencies to unite to address the country’s problems on hunger.
“Let us move forward with determination, compassion, and purpose in building a Bagong Pilipinas where food is not only affordable but plentiful, and where every Bagong Pilipino leads a good, healthy, and productive life,” President Marcos said during the “Walang Gutom Awards.”
Walang Gutom Awards originally aims to recognize LGUs with “successful programs to combat hunger.”
According to the 2023 Global Hunger Index, the Philippines ranks 66th out of 125 countries worldwide “with sufficient data to calculate global hunger index scores.”
The report noted that the Philippines has a “moderate level” of hunger. Although this level of hunger in the country was low compared to the previous years, survey results revealed otherwise.
A latest survey result from the Social Weather Stations (SWS) show that the percentage of Filipino families that went through “involuntary hunger” increased from 9.8 percent in September 2023 to 12.6 percent in December 2023.
The term “involuntary hunger” is defined by the SWS as hunger and lack of access to food at least once in the past three months.
“Compared to September 2023, hunger rose by 2.8 points from 9.8 percent,” said the SWS.
According to the survey, involuntary hunger rates were highest in Balance Luzon at 14.3 percent, followed by Metro Manila at 12.7 percent, Mindanao at 12 percent, and the Visayas at 9.3 percent of families.
Mindanao had the biggest increase in involuntary hunger, rising from 6.7 percent in September 2023 to 12 percent. Balance Luzon went up from 10.3 percent to 14.3 percent, and the Visayas increased from 6.7 percent to 9.3 percent.
In contrast, Metro Manila was the only region where involuntary hunger decreased, dropping from 17.3 percent to 12.7 percent.
