Food insecurity in the Philippines worsens
Food insecurity is worsening in the Philippines under the Marcos regime. The United Nations (UN) Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) latest study shows that the country’s food insecurity incidence has reached 44.1%, the third worst in Southeast Asia (SEA). This means that around 51 million Filipinos are experiencing severe and moderate food insecurity. East Timor has the highest incidence (53.7%), followed by Cambodia (50.4%) in the region.
The incidence of food insecurity in the Philippines has continued to rise. Since 2020, severe and moderate food insecurity incidence increased from 34.6% to 40.3% last year. Meanwhile, severe food insecurity has risen from 6.4% to 8.2% during the same period. Moderate food insecurity refers to a population that cannot afford nutritious food, while severe food insecurity refers to those who cannot afford even basic food.
The large number of Filipinos that are food insecure is due to a combination of factors that the Marcos regime is failing to address, according to the Ibon Foundation. Many Filipinos consider themselves poor. Up to 71% or 19.2 million Filipino families have no savings, according to the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP). Meanwhile, 42% or 20.8 million Filipino workers have no regular jobs or income.
“Agricultural policies are needed to expand production with support to small farmers for sustainable agriculture astride protection from land-grabbing and land conversion,” Ibon said.
Furthermore, the country should stop over-reliance on importing food, including rice and other inputs and materials for production.
“The direction should be towards strengthening local food systems while considering the impacts of climate change and environmental degradation on agriculture,” it said.