Philippines: Palace saddened by survey suggesting 60% of Filipinos hungry
High incidence of food insecurity due to the loss of jobs caused by the pandemic
By Alexis Romero
The Philippine Star
May 3, 2021
Excerpt:
A survey conducted by the science department’s Food and Nutrition Research Institute (FNRI) indicated that 62.1 percent of Filipino households have experienced moderate or severe food insecurity.
Results of the poll, which was conducted from Nov. 3 to Dec. 3, also suggested that 71.7 percent of households bought food on credit while 66.3 percent borrowed food from relatives or neighbors. Food insecurity peaked between April and May last year during enforcement of the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ), according to the survey, which covered 5,717 households with 7,240 individuals.
The FNRI defined food insecurity as “the state in which people are at risk or actually suffering from inadequate consumption to meet nutritional requirements.” Food insecurity was also described by the Global Forum on Food Security of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization as “a result of the physical unavailability of food, people’s lack of social or economic access to adequate food, or inadequate food utilization.”
“Of course we are saddened by this number. We need this survey by the DOST (Department of Science and Technology) to determine the effects of the problems caused by COVID-19,” Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles told radio station dzRH.
“Many of our countrymen do not have jobs and livelihood so many families are going hungry. It’s automatic and you will see the relationship (between joblessness and hunger),” he added.
