Department of Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. welcomed the drop in Philippine food poverty in the fourth quarter of 2025 as government measures to stabilize rice supply and prices took hold.
The OCTA Research Tugon ng Masa survey showed that self-rated food poverty dropped to 30 percent from 49 percent in the previous quarter. The shift represents about 5 million families who no longer consider themselves food-poor.
Tiu Laurel said the results reflect the effectiveness of programs designed to protect consumers while supporting food producers. He said the government remains committed to ensuring access to affordable food while helping farmers and fisherfolk increase their earnings.
Despite the improvement in poverty sentiment, self-rated hunger increased to 16 percent from 11 percent on a quarter-on-quarter basis. OCTA analysts noted that nearly 80 percent of affected households experienced hunger only once or a few times, suggesting short-term or episodic food stress rather than persistent deprivation.
Analysts attributed the overall decline in food poverty to initiatives like the “Benteng Bigas, Meron Na!” program and the P20-per-kilo rice initiative.
