Filipino children, rural communities should be top priorities in fight vs hunger

Hunger remains a pressing issue worsened by poverty in the Philippines. According to Food and Agriculture Organization statistics, the Philippines experienced food scarcity more than any other Southeast Asian Nation from 2017 to 2019, affecting over 59 million Filipinos. Amidst this ongoing crisis, it is crucial to recognize the impact of hunger on the sustenance of Filipino children.

Nutrition as a basic right has been long overlooked as the continuous cycle of hunger in the Philippines remains alarming. Despite the government’s efforts to alleviate hunger and its economic implications, programs are not adequately implemented, deeming them ineffective. Different agencies have worked hand-in-hand in addressing these issues, such as the Department of Health and Department of Education through school-based feeding programs, constantly calling for the combined efforts of the government. The Department of Science and Technology’s Food and Research Institute has also launched fortificants in 2020, such as the micronutrient growth mix (MGM 15) and multi-nutrient extruded rice kernel (MNERK). Whereas, the Department of Budget and Management has allocated P11.7 billion for school-based feeding programs and P4.1 billion for supplementary feeding programs in community development centers.

Regardless, studies by Tabunda, Albert, and Angeles-Agdeppa (2016) and the Philippine Institute for Development Studies or PIDS (2023) assert that these initiatives are not maximized, hindering equitable attainment of food security and thus increasing the percentage of Filipinos suffering from hunger (Locus, 2024). This phenomenon can be attributed to the lack of proper monitoring and limited distance that do not reach the rural communities that need nutritional aid the most. The constant change in government leaders and their respective priorities exacerbates this situation as they are more concerned with creating new programs rather than providing resources to existing, effective ones.

Geographical barriers should not serve as a hindrance to attaining proper nutrition, as the Constitution states the right to adequate food. Regional development strategies must employ an integrated approach that targets to mitigate the negative effects of urban development and uneven growth. For this to be accomplished, various measures must be taken to guarantee food security, especially for Filipinos residing in rural areas, including conducting more studies that specifically target food security in rural communities and refining existing programs that aim to mitigate food insecurity.

Establishing this vision is a demanding effort as it challenges everyone to recognize responsibility and take action toward leading lives with shared and equal rights. To effectively combat hunger among Filipino children, present budget allocations and programs need regulation to guarantee equal distribution of resources and reach to rural communities. Responsible agencies should adopt a “whole-of-government” approach to avoid duplication of initiatives and discover underlying factors to the multifaceted issue. Collaboration with nongovernmental organizations such as Rise Against Hunger Philippines and others increases the effectiveness of all initiatives by providing leverage in community engagement, enabling more flexible and practical solutions. This, in turn, will ensure the upbringing of more productive children who can and will shape the country’s future. This mission urges the government to take action, compelling them to improve policies, maximize available resources, and increase government involvement, bringing us all one step closer to achieving a society where fellow Filipinos will no longer starve.

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