Hunger incidence among Filipino families has increased for two consecutive quarters
CLAIM: Anti-hunger and anti-malnutrition programs of the administration of President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. have yielded “inspiring results” so far.
RATING: FALSE
In his State of the Nation Address on July 22, coinciding with Nutrition Month, President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. boasted about his administration’s efforts to combat hunger and malnutrition.
“Our convergent programs to stamp out hunger and malnutrition were not only successfully launched, but have yielded inspiring results thus far,” he said, highlighting initiatives such as the Philippine Plan of Action for Nutrition and the “Walang Gutom 2027” program.
Unless an increasing number of Filipino families suffering from hunger qualifies as an “inspiring result” to the president, his claim is incorrect and contradicts recent data.
From the last quarter of last year to the first quarter of 2024, there was a rise in the number of Filipino families experiencing involuntary hunger, meaning they had nothing to eat at least one time over a three-month period.
According to Social Weather Stations (SWS) data, 12.6 percent of Filipino families reported experiencing involuntary hunger in Q4 of 2023, up from 9.8 percent in the previous quarter.
Hunger incidence further soared to 14.2 percent in the opening quarter of 2024.
Even the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), the agency responsible for leading Marcos Jr.’s flagship anti-hunger and anti-poverty programs, acknowledged these trends.
In response to the growing hunger issue, the DSWD has supported Malacañang’s call for the comprehensive implementation of its Enhanced Partnership Against Hunger and Poverty Program. Ella Mae A. Sison
