PNFSP on the Alarming Rise in Hunger Among Filipino Families

The Philippine Network of Food Security Programmes (PNFSP) sounds the alarm over the latest Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey revealing that a staggering 35.6% of poor Filipino families experienced hunger in March 2025, up from 26.4% just a month prior. This sharp and deeply distressing spike is more than a statistic — it is a reflection of a national crisis and a government failing in its fundamental duty to uphold the right to food for every Filipino.

Also gravely alarming is that the increasing hunger is now experienced not only by the poor, but now increasingly by families previously considered "non-poor." According to the latest SWS data, hunger among non-poor households has risen from 10% in January to 16.2% in February, and now to 18.3% in March. Food insecurity is no longer confined to the poorest sectors, even those considered as non poor can no longer consistently access enough food.

We decry this growing hunger epidemic that continues to afflict millions of Filipinos. These are the result of systemic neglect, deep-rooted inequality, and the persistent marginalization of our rural and urban poor communities. No one should be hungry in a country as rich in natural resources and agricultural potential as the Philippines.

This crisis is a direct consequence of decades of flawed economic policies, landlessness, the abandonment of small farmers, and overreliance on food imports. These have all but eroded our food security, leaving millions vulnerable to hunger and exploitation.

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. made a  campaign promise to bring down the price of rice to ₱20 per kilo — a pledge that resonated with millions of Filipinos desperate for affordable food and economic relief. However, nearly three years into his administration, not only has this promise remained unfulfilled, but the opposite has occurred: rice prices have doubled and, in many areas, even tripled. Alongside rice, the costs of basic food commodities continue to surge, placing unbearable pressure on ordinary Filipino families. Filipinos are facing the worst food price crisis in years.

This is not just a failure to deliver on a promise — it is a breach of public trust.

The right to food is not charity — it is a basic human right. We demand immediate, concrete action to ensure that every Filipino can live with dignity, free from hunger.

#EndHungerNow #FoodIsARight #FoodSecurityPH