Legarda: Make food affordable, livelihoods sustainable to end hunger

MANILA, Philippines – Senator Loren Legarda welcomed the decline in hunger in the latest Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey, but stressed that one in every five Filipino families still experiencing hunger cannot be treated as a sign that the problem is under control.

The June 20 to 29 SWS survey found that 20.3% of Filipino families experienced involuntary hunger at least once in the preceding three months, down from 23.2% in March.

Hunger, however, rose to 24% in Mindanao, the highest among the country’s major areas.

Article continues after this advertisement

Legarda said the new hunger figures reinforce the point she raised earlier this week on the reported decline in poverty incidence that economic statistics must be tested against what families can actually afford.

FEATURED STORIES

NEWSINFO

NEWSINFO

NEWSINFO

“Kung sinasabi ng datos na nakaahon na ang isang pamilya sa poverty line pero napipilitan pa rin silang magbawas ng pagkain dahil kulang ang suweldo sa bigas, ulam, pamasahe, kuryente at gamot, malinaw na may kailangan pa tayong ayusin. Hindi sapat na umangat ang pamilya sa papel. Kailangang lumuwag din ang buhay nila,” she said.

The pressure is especially severe among low-income households. Philippine Statistics Authority data show that food inflation among the bottom 30% of income households reached 8.5% in July, compared with 5.3% food inflation nationally.

Legarda said addressing hunger, therefore, requires the government to increase and protect what families take home while also bringing down the cost of food and other essential needs.

Her proposed KITA Act, or Senate Bill No. 2255, seeks to raise the annual income tax exemption threshold to Php 400,000, increase the tax-free bonus ceiling to Php 150,000, exempt overtime, holiday, night-shift differential, and hazard pay from income tax, and automatically adjust income tax brackets to inflation every five years.

Article continues after this advertisement

She has also filed the Murang Bilihin at Serbisyong Medikal Act, or Senate Bill No. 1857, which seeks to expand VAT exemptions for basic goods, essential utilities and medical services.

“Kapag tumaas ang presyo ng pagkain, kailangang bawasan ang pasanin sa gastusin ng pamilya at protektahan ang perang naiuuwi nila. Ang dagdag na kita ng manggagawa ay dapat maramdaman sa hapag-kainan, hindi agad mawala sa buwis at pagtaas ng presyo,” Legarda said.

Article continues after this advertisement

But she stressed that stronger purchasing power must be matched by more reliable livelihoods, particularly for families vulnerable to falling back into poverty.

Legarda authored and principally sponsored the Magna Carta for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises, which strengthened government support for entrepreneurship, enterprise development, and MSME growth. She has likewise filed Senate Bill No. 787, or the Sustainable Livelihood Program Act in the current Congress, which seeks to institutionalize livelihood assistance, skills development, and employment support for poor and vulnerable Filipinos.

“Hindi lahat ng pamilya ay naghahanap ng ayuda. Marami ang naghahanap ng puhunan, kagamitan, training, trabaho, o merkado para sa maliit nilang negosyo. Kung kaya nilang kumita nang tuloy-tuloy, nababawasan ang pangangailangan nilang umasa sa pansamantalang tulong,” she said.

Legarda said the same approach must be applied to agriculture, where strengthening the livelihoods of farmers, fisherfolk and indigenous peoples can also help increase food supply and keep prices more affordable.

Under Senate Bill 2258 or The Kabuhayan at Kaunlaran ng Kababayang Katutubo (4K) Act, indigenous farmers are supported by providing agricultural tools, financial aid, and business training while connecting them directly to guaranteed buyers for their crops.

In addition, under her Senate Bill No. 2051, or the Local Harvest Support Act of 2026, local governments, public schools, state universities and colleges, and government hospitals would be directed to prioritize food sourced directly from local farmers and fisherfolk, while establishing mechanisms to purchase agricultural produce that would otherwise go unsold or be wasted.

“Bumibili naman ng pagkain ang gobyerno araw-araw para sa feeding programs, paaralan, ospital at iba pang institusyon. Kung mas malaking bahagi nito ay bibilhin natin direkta sa lokal na magsasaka at mangingisda, dalawang problema ang nasosolusyonan natin. May masustansyang pagkain ang nangangailangan at may siguradong merkado ang producer,” Legarda said.

She stressed that stronger local procurement must be accompanied by investments that address the high cost of producing and bringing food to market.

“Hindi dapat nangyayari na mahal ang pagkain sa palengke pero lugi ang nagtanim, nag-alaga at namalaot. Ang problema ay nasa gastos sa produksyon, storage, transportasyon, pagproseso at pagdadala ng pagkain sa merkado, dito kailangang pumasok ang pamahalaan,” Legarda said.

Legarda called to strengthen investments in irrigation, post-harvest and storage facilities, cold-chain systems, farm and fisheries equipment, affordable financing, insurance, food processing and efficient farm-to-market logistics, particularly for small farmers, fisherfolk, cooperatives and food-related MSMEs.

“Ang karapatan sa pagkain ay hindi lang karapatang mabigyan ng food pack. Ibig sabihin nito, may mabibiling pagkain ang pamilya sa presyong kaya nila; may kita sila para bilhin ito; at ang magsasaka at mangingisdang gumagawa ng pagkain natin ay kumikita rin nang maayos,” she said.

As Congress deliberates on the proposed 2027 national budget, Legarda said anti-hunger programs should be judged not simply by the number of beneficiaries reached or food packs distributed, but by whether government spending reduces the cost of food, raises household incomes, prevents farm losses and creates livelihoods that last.

Your subscription could not be saved. Please try again.

Your subscription has been successful.

Ang pagbaba ng hunger rate sa isang survey ay hindi pa sapat na batayan para sabihing maayos na ang kalagayan ng mamamayan. Ang gusto natin ay dumating sa puntong wala ng pamilya ang nagugutom dahil may trabaho, may kabuhayan, may merkado ang ani at huli, at kaya nilang maghain ng sapat at masustansyang pagkain para sa kanilang pamilya,” Legarda concluded.