Pinoys still experiencing hunger, malnutrition

MANILA, Philippines - Filipinos continue to suffer from hunger and malnutrition despite efforts of the Arroyo administration to reduce poverty, a latest government survey revealed yesterday.

A survey conducted by the Department of Science and Technology’s Food and Nutrition Research Institute (FNRI) showed that “the nutrition situation of Filipinos has not improved from 2005 to 2008.”

“There are more undernourished children and nutritionally at-risk pregnant and lactating women,” according to the FNRI survey released yesterday.

The survey covered the period 2005-2008.

From 2005 to 2008, there was a significant increase in the proportion of underweight (24.6 percent to 26.2 percent) and underheight (26.3 percent to 27.9 percent) preschoolers.

“The survey found that 3.3 million children are underweight and 3.5 million are underheight,” the FNRI said.

The number of underweight school children also rose from 16 percent in 2005 to 17 percent in 2008, while underheight school children increased from 32 percent to 33.1 percent.

It said about 2.8 million school children are underweight and 3.3 million are underheight.

Meanwhile, the survey also showed that among adolescents (aged 11 to 19 years old), the prevalence of underweight rose to 17 percent from 16 percent.

However, overweight decreased by 0.2 percentage points from 4.8 percent in 2005 to 4.6 percent in 2008.

Among the adults – aged 20 and above – there was a 2.6-point increase in the prevalence of overweight and obese adults, the FNRI said.

Meanwhile, the survey revealed that two out of 10 mothers and one out of 10 children experienced hunger in the past three months. Skipping or missing meals was the most frequent experience among food insecure mothers and children, it added.

It said three out of 10 mothers and two out of 10 children experienced food insecurity because there was no food to eat or no money to buy food.

“The food insecurity survey results are consistent with the results of the Social Weather Stations (SWS) hunger survey which showed an increase in the number of Filipinos who suffered from involuntary hunger,” said Maria Lourdes Vega, National Nutrition Council (NNC) Nutrition Officer V.

The latest SWS survey showed that families experiencing involuntary hunger at least once eased from 20.3 percent (estimated 3.7 million families) in June to 17.5 percent (an estimated 3.2 million families) in September.

She said the rise in hunger incidence was due to “uncontrolled factors” like the recent natural disasters.

“This means that we have to intensify our disaster response and mitigation program,” she said.

Vega said the government has included budgetary allocation for its Accelerated Hunger Mitigation Program in the proposed 2010 national budget.

The findings were part of the 7th National Nutrition Survey undertaken by the FNRI every five years.

Meanwhile, Health Secretary Francisco Duque said the government would continue to help increase and stabilize the supply of rice and bring this staple to the poor.

“The government is sparing no effort to ensure that our supply of rice and other basic commodities reach the tables of every Filipino in all corners of the country,” he said in his speech before reporters in the media forum “Accelerated hunger mediation program” at the Manila Hotel.

He said the government has likewise used the schools through the Food for School Program to deliver rice to the poorest families through their schoolchildren.

“Our children must remain healthy and strong and fit to get the education that will ensure a better future for them and their families,” Duque said.

“We have empowered our people by providing access to vocational as well as college education. We have created more jobs and provided emergency employment for those who need these most,” he said.

Duque said the government has also provided billions of pesos worth of livelihood assistance to poor Filipinos.