Six in 10 families have suffered from moderate to severe food insecurity amid the COVID-19 pandemic, a survey of the Department of Science and Technology-Food and Nutrition Research Institute showed.
In its rapid nutrition assessment survey conducted from November 3 to December 3 last year, DOST-FNRI said 62.1 percent of Filipino families have suffered from having little to nothing to eat amid the health crisis.
At least 71.8 percent of the respondents were forced to borrow money just to be able to buy food while 66.3 percent asked for food from their relatives, neighbors and friends.
Some 21.1 percent of the respondents said they had to cut their food intake to be able to feed their children.
The survey showed that among the causes of food insecurity are lack of money (22.1 percent), limited public transportation (21.6 percent), lost of livelihood (19.5 percent), and lack of access to adequate food (10.8 percent).
Malacañang, for its part, said the administration is doing everything to address hunger amid the pandemic even as it acknowledged that more needs to be done.
“We are doing everything we can to address hunger amid the pandemic but we know that we need to do more,” presidential spokesman Harry Roque said.
The Palace official said that aside from cash aid and distribution of food packs for areas under localized lockdown, the government will continue to find ways to do more.
“We recognize that the absence of jobs will result in hunger, that is why extending these lockdown restrictions is a very tough decision to make,” Roque added.