I.

INTRODUCTION

Hunger is said to be the world’s 'greatest solvable' problem. Zero hunger means working
together to ensure everyone, everywhere, has access to the safe, healthy and nutritious food
they need. This global problem, however, still persists until today. According to a report by
the International Food Policy Research Institute in 2017, the Philippines had a global hunger
index of 20.0 percent, ranking 68 out of 119 countries. While this indicates a decrease in
hunger incidence by 0.2 percent since 2008, the country’s hunger threat still falls under
serious levels. House Bill No. 3795, later adapted as House Bill No. 7193 or the Right to
Adequate Food Framework Bill, was filed under the vision of having a comprehensive law
specifically for addressing hunger and food insecurity. The bill’s provisions require
cooperation among all government units, working towards a more unified approach. One of
the critical aims of the bill was to end hunger within 10 years, gaining the title ‘Zero Hunger
Bill’. This is in line with the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals of ending all
forms of hunger and malnutrition by 2030.The Zero Hunger Bill was first proposed in 2014.
Four years later, its passing is yet to come to a fruition.

According to the Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) (2016), around 11 per cent
of the global population is suffering from chronic undernourishment. The absolute number
of undernourished people is the largest in Asia (FAO, 2017). The prevalence of
undernourishment is rising in South Asia, from 9.4 per cent in 2015 to 11.5 per cent in 2016
(FAO 2017). Wasting and stunting are the visible consequences of malnutrition. According
to a joint report of UNICEF, the World Health Organization, and the World Bank (2018),
wasting prevalence in 2017 was estimated at almost 8 per cent across the globe. The same
report underlines the fact that approximately two-thirds of all wasted children under five
live in Asia.

There are many factors that influence food security; poverty and climate change are the
two biggest challenges. Climate plays an important role in agriculture and changing
temperatures, erratic rainfall and increasing frequency of extreme events have impacted
agricultural activities everywhere, creating unfavorable conditions for food production.
Further, the change from multi to mono cropping systems limits the diversity of agricultural
products. Likewise, an increasing inclination towards cash crops and changing food habits
restrict the dietary intake of people and may result in malnutrition, undernutrition and even
micro-nutrient deficiencies. Food wastage is also an emerging challenge that undermines the
efforts to end hunger and malnutrition. According to the FAO, the global volume of food
wastage is estimated at 1.6 billion tons of primary product equivalents. Ending food waste is
therefore crucial to achieving zero hunger by 2030.

Slow progress in Africa and Asia has been observed also. The situation is most alarming
in Africa, as the region has the highest rates of hunger in the world and which are
continuing to slowly but steadily rise in almost all sub regions. In Eastern Africa in
particular, close to a third of the population (30.8 percent) is undernourished. In addition
to climate and conflict, economic slowdowns and downturns are driving the rise. Since
2011, almost half the countries where rising hunger occurred due to economic slowdowns
or stagnation were in Africa.

The largest number of undernourished people (more than 500 million) live in Asia,
mostly in southern Asian countries. Together, Africa and Asia bear the greatest share of all
forms of malnutrition, accounting for more than nine out of ten of all stunted children and
over nine out of ten of all wasted children worldwide. In southern Asia and sub-Saharan
Africa, one child in three is stunted.

In addition to the challenges of stunting and wasting, Asia and Africa are also home to
nearly three-quarters of all overweight children worldwide, largely driven by consumption
of unhealthy diets.

Based on a blog, despite an increase in the rate of employment (by about 5

percent), poverty in the Philippines has seen relatively no improvement. The Philippine
Statistics Authority (PSA) conducted the research in order to guide policymakers in their
efforts to alleviate hunger in the Philippines.
In 2015, 17.2 percent of the population lived under the poverty threshold.
Amado Parawan is the health and nutrition advisor for an organization called Save the
Children. He recently urged Filipino presidential candidates to re-evaluate their
methodologies to address hunger in the Philippines.

Parawan stated that feeding programs are really only a “band aid solution” to solving the
infection of hunger and malnutrition. In addition, he encouraged them to seek foreign aid
and consult experts on globally accepted intervention policies.
His plea to candidates follows a recent initiative by Save the Children Philippines called the
‘Lahat Dapat’ campaign. This movement highlights the importance of healthcare in the
prenatal and early stages of development for Filipino children.
Current foreign initiatives include the World Food Programme (WFP) of the U.N., which
began their work in 1968. However, they had to reestablish their presence in 2006, after the
government requested more aid in light of increasing armed conflict.

The program focuses on improving food insecurity and helping communities to build
resilience in preparing for natural disasters. In addition, the program also emphasizes the
importance of providing healthy meals for children in school.

Each school year, over 65,000 children in the areas of Lanao del Sur, Lanao del Norte and
Maguindanao receive crucial nourishment school meals. Good nutrition then increases
school retention rates, as well as the quality of the education children receive.

Additionally, Action Against Hunger works to eliminate hunger in the Philippines. Armed
conflicts have displaced many Filipinos. One such area is Zamboanga, where efforts have
been directed towards providing clean water, sanitation, and nutrition education.
The government of the Philippines is known for their $450-million conditional cash transfer
program, Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program. It also recently received a new financing
package from the World Bank.
This social safety net program helps to reduce the vulnerability of families to sudden
economic difficulties. The money ensures that children receive ample nutrition and access
to education. It also gives pregnant mothers access to regular health exams.
By assessing the methodologies that have been successful in other nations and modifying
them to fit the Philippines’ unique needs, the partnership of the government and the
international community established a successful food aid program.

The most important consideration when working to eliminate hunger in the Philippines is
fostering independence. Humanitarian organizations and the governments involved will not
only provide food, but they will also help families become self-sufficient.

II. THE OPPPOSING SIDE

After a period of decline, world hunger is on the rise again. Today,

over 815 million people are suffering chronic undernourishment, according to the latest FAO
report. Conflict, extreme weather events linked to climate change, economic slowdown
and rapidly increasing overweight and obesity levels are reversing progress made in
the fight against hunger and malnutrition. To achieve it, we must adopt a more sustainable
lifestyle, work with others, share our knowledge and be willing to help change the world–
for the better.

The Zero Hunger recipe is that we all have a role to play! The solutions to end hunger
once and for all are simple but will only work with that special ingredient: people! And their
actions – which is the difficult part. That’s why FAO shows the way forward by involving
governments, private sector companies and ordinary people in a series of programme
designed to get us all on the road to Zero Hunger.

We human beings have been overlooking the effects of pollution over the past couple
of centuries. Pollution has affected the climate causing an increase in extreme weather
events – such as floods, tropical storms and long periods of drought. Poor farmers, fishermen,
pastoralists and forest dwellers suffer most during and after a natural disaster – they don’t
have enough to eat and they are often forced to leave their homes. Rising temperatures as a
result of climate change also affect the environment dramatically and can turn healthy soil.
Poverty, war, and natural disasters particularly affect the less wealthy areas of the world
today. But even in wealthy, industrialized countries there are large groups of people living
in poverty, unable to feed themselves properly. They often live in the same neighborhoods
as overweight or obese people. Overeating and irresponsible consumption of unhealthy junk
food are a big part of the hunger problem causing an increased number of deaths every year.
1.9 billion people, which is more than a quarter of the world’s population, are overweight.
600 million of these are obese and adult obesity is rising everywhere at an accelerated pace.
The production and waste of huge quantities of food is contributing to pollution, and
affecting people’s health everywhere. Malnutrition, therefore, is a global issue: it concerns us
all, no matter where we live. Economic growth is often the key to help countries out of
hunger. Sadly, though, when not controlled and fair, it can widen the gap between rich and
poor, generating further hunger, conflict and tension. Growth must include vulnerable
people and consider society as a whole: it will only work when every single part is considered
essential to the whole. We know that people are the special ingredient in the recipe to end
world hunger: everyone needs to take action to achieve this common goal.

III. THE POSSIBLE OBJECTIONS

Looking back at history, hunger has always existed, and always for the same reasons.
Poverty is one of the main causes of hunger. If you are poor, you can’t afford nutritious food.
This makes it difficult to work or earn a living and often means that people remain in a
poverty trap. The Philippines is one of the countries that have committed to end hunger and
achieve the other SDGs by 2030. Hitting the zero-hunger target, however, may be a tall order
for the Philippines, partly due to inflation. Millions of Filipino families are regarded as
“subsistence poor” or food poor, based on the latest available data from the Philippine
Statistics Authority (PSA). Of the 2.2 million families, about 1.9 million said they experienced
"moderate hunger" while about 294,000 said they experienced "extreme hunger. These
circumstances do not lie in a vacuum. They are the result of misguided policies and the lack
of commitment by governments to ensure fundamental human rights. As echoed by a civil
society report presented to the 45th session of the Committee on World Food Security this
week, the right to food is arguably the most violated human right globally, and maybe the
least visible one.

The right to food is not an isolated right however, as it is rooted in the indivisibility and
interdependence of all human rights.

This ambitious goal seems to contradict the prevailing reality. It will depend on the
leadership and commitment of the government – especially of the future leaders of the
Commission on the Right to Adequate Food. Strict implementation of the provisions
contained in the bill is necessary to achieve its goals. Currently, the bill is under the Senate,
and discussions are still underway. “The Right to Adequate Food Framework bill, which is
commonly known as the Zero Hunger bill, has been in Congress for quite a while precisely
because it was not in the priority agenda of the Aquino administration before nor is it under
the Duterte administration now,” Teves said. Without prioritization in the midst of
legislation, the passing of the bill continues to be far from reality. For countries to succeed,
they must turn political commitment into concrete action. When food systems are more
efficient, sustainable and nutrition-sensitive countries will have delivered on their promise
to eradicate hunger in our lifetime.” – Rappler.com

Underweight prevalence may have gone down in majority of the regions in the
previous year, but the rates are still high within Bicol region, Eastern Visayas, and
MIMAROPA. There is also an increase in the number of underweight Filipinos in Western
Visayas. Due to low rural incomes, lack of access to productive resources and vulnerability
of the countryside to various shocks related to climate and diseases, hunger is more
prevalent in rural areas.

Government policies reduce poverty and hunger—to improve food security—are

complicated, and require an economy-wide perspective on how rural and urban markets
are connected. Labor market connections are most important for understanding real
wages, labor productivity and living standards, but efficient input and output markets are
also important. Eventually, financial systems are needed that link opportunities for urban
investments and capital resources with rural savings. Access to modern financial
institutions and their assets also permits the expansion of agricultural operations, which
is essential to sustaining rapid growth in labor productivity. That is why ending hunger
is so hard. It takes sustained economic growth over decades, not years, that
systematically includes the poor – especially in rural areas – along with public actions to
stabilize the food economy in which poor households live, because spikes in food prices
can kill.
These circumstances do not lie in a vacuum. They are the result of misguided policies and
the lack of commitment by governments to ensure fundamental human rights. As echoed by
a civil society report presented to the 45th session of the Committee on World Food
Security this week, the right to food is arguably the most violated human right globally, and
maybe the least visible one. The right to food is not an isolated right however, as it is rooted
in the indivisibility and interdependence of all human rights.

Ending hunger by 2030, one of 17 global goals adopted in September, can only happen
if more money and effort are invested in helping people cope with climate change impacts,
the head of the U.N.'s food aid agency said. Extreme weather that is worsening as the planet
warms - including stronger storms and longer droughts - are having a growing impact on the
poorest and most vulnerable people, said World Food Programme (WFP) Executive Director
Ertharin Cousin. Yet the world knows how to protect those communities, and must now find
the money to put the right policies into action, she said. "Without the climate change
investments in adaptation ... and the changes in our response, we cannot achieve zero
hunger. It's impossible," she told the Thomson Reuters Foundation in an interview on the
sidelines of U.N. climate talks in Paris. For example, droughts hitting people in Africa's arid
Sahel region repeatedly make them weaker each time, and bouncing back becomes more
difficult, she said. It takes a vulnerable person about three years to recover financially from
a significant shock, she noted. The challenge, she said, is supporting those people to adapt
"by providing them with the tools that will achieve the elusive state of being we talk about
as 'resilience' - which will help them endure these cyclical impacts", she said.Ending hunger
by 2030, one of 17 global goals adopted in September, can only happen if more money and
effort are invested in helping people cope with climate change impacts, the head of the U.N.'s
food aid agency said. Extreme weather that is worsening as the planet warms - including
stronger storms and longer droughts - are having a growing impact on the poorest and most
vulnerable people, said World Food Programme (WFP) Executive Director Ertharin Cousin.
Yet the world knows how to protect those communities, and must now find the money to put
the right policies into action, she said. "Without the climate change investments in adaptation
... and the changes in our response, we cannot achieve zero hunger. It's impossible," she told
the Thomson Reuters Foundation in an interview on the sidelines of U.N. climate talks in
Paris. For example, droughts hitting people in Africa's arid Sahel region repeatedly make
them weaker each time, and bouncing back becomes more difficult, she said. It takes a
vulnerable person about three years to recover financially from a significant shock, she
noted. The challenge, she said, is supporting those people to adapt "by providing them with
the tools that will achieve the elusive state of being we talk about as 'resilience' - which will
help them endure these cyclical impacts", she said.

PHILIPPINES — The Philippines faces serious hunger and poverty. Conflicts between the
Moro Islamic Liberation Front and the Filipino government in addition to the frequent
natural disasters have only intensified the existing food insecurity. These top 10 facts about
hunger in the Philippines will shed some light on areas that need improvement as well as
areas where the country has been successful.

Top 10 Facts About Hunger in the Philippines

1. The Philippines’ Global Hunger Index (GHI) is currently 20.3, ranking the country 69
out 119 and placing it under the “Serious” category in the Global Hunger Index.
Although, this number is down from the 25.9 rating that the Philipines had back in
2000.
2. Hunger poses dangerous health consequences for the Philippines, with 20.6 percent
of people being underweight and 32.2 percent being stunted. Low weight and stunting
can restrict growth and prevent people from developing fully.
3. Children also face serious risks from malnourishment. Although the rate of
underweight children has decreased from 29.1 percent in 1992 to 20.2 percent in
2003, that rate has remained mostly unchanged since. In fact, the percentage recorded
in 2015 was 21.5 percent of children being underweight. In addition, 29.9 percent of
children aged five to 10 were stunted in that same year, ranking the Philippines ninth
in the world for stunted children.
4. Hunger occurs the most in the agriculture and fishing sectors where 70 percent of
workers are poor. In fact, 33 percent of the working population resides in these
sectors, facing low wages, risks of natural disasters and poverty, all contributing to
their high rates of hunger. Typhoon Bohpa alone created a loss of $663 million in
agriculture. This effect is amplified for coconut farmers, who must cultivate their
plants for eight to ten years before selling.
5. Food insecurity varies by region. Although around 21.9 percent of households overall
are food insecure, 44.5 percent of The Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao
(ARMM) is food insecure. It is also the regions with the highest tendency for
underweight children. Urban regions in the ARMM are more likely to be food secure,
with a 40.1 percent food security rate compared to a 28 percent food security rate in
rural regions.
6. ARMM’s high food insecurity may be attributed to the history of conflict in the region.
For years, various reformist groups in the area had fought for the independence of the
Muslim provinces well into the late 1990s. Even after gaining autonomy, however, the
Moro Islamic Liberation Front continued to fight for independence. These conflicts
have displaced more than 500,000 people.
 7. The Philippines is prone to natural disasters including earthquakes, floods and
tsunamis. Since 1990, natural disasters have taken the lives of 70,000 people and put
60 percent of the land, which houses 74 percent of the people, at risk. The resulting
damage in agriculture and displacement has exacerbated hunger and poverty in the
Philippines.
8. Efforts to decrease hunger have shown some success. Food security rates have been
improving in the Philippines. Undernourishment has decreased as well, dropping by
17.9 percent from 1992 to 2016.
9. This improvement may be attributed to the two-part Accelerated Hunger Mitigation
Program. The Food for School Program provides one kilo of rice daily for families with
school-aged children in grade one or below. The second part of the program is
Tindahan Natin, which offers basic food and necessities at reduced prices for low-
income families.
10. The World Food Programme is also working towards reducing hunger in the
Philippines. They are focusing on peacemaking between the Moro Islamic Liberation
Front and the Filipino government in order to relieve the high poverty and hunger
rates of the affected areas.
Based on these top 10 facts about hunger in the Philippines, it is evident that progress is
being made, albeit slowly. Still, more efforts and humanitarian aid are needed to help the
Philippines decrease food insecurity in order to end hunger and poverty in the country.