MANILA, Philippines--To be free from hunger is one of the fundamental rights provided in the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights. Our country signed this binding treaty.

In the light of the data showing that the number of food-poor Filipino families increased from 1.7 million to 1.9 million between 2003 and 2006, it is incumbent upon the Arroyo administration to seriously address this problem through short- and long-term measures.

The Inquirer's March 10 editorial suggested that the government "consider extending more subsidies to the most disadvantaged." I believe that this is one action that must be immediately considered by our government aside from long-term solutions.

The Department of Social Welfare and Development launched last January 2008 Ahon Pamilyang Pinoy. The program would provide P1,400 per family to 123,000 families and will cost P1.7 billion in 2008. (Inquirer, 1/10/08) I just hope that the report on the launching of this program was not a mere press release. I remember the food-for-work program launched around 2005 or 2006--after the Social Weather Stations came out with its survey findings on the big number of hungry Filipinos. It was supposed to run for six months and benefit 100,000 families. Alas, after one month of implementation and spending P60 million, the Office of the President stopped funding the program.

To prevent this from happening to Ahon Pamilyang Pinoy, again, right-to-food advocates as well as human rights crusaders, people's organizations, the academe and local officials in the 20 poorest provinces should unite and pressure the national government to genuinely uphold and serve the right of the people to be free from hunger.--RAFFY REY HIPOLITO, advocacy officer, Foodfirst Information & Action Network-Philippines, via e-mail