COLLABORATION on curbing hunger incidence in Northern Mindanao is an urgent task for local government units (LGU) to address the rising hunger incidence in the region, an official said.
Zenaida Tondanes, National Nutrition Council-Northern Mindanao (NNC-10) nutrition program officer, said that as the nation observes the 39th nutrition month celebration there is a need for the active LGUs and multi-stakeholder participation to address the basic cause of hunger.
This year’s theme is “Gutom at malnutrisyon, sama-sama nating wakasan.”
According to a survey, Mindanao contributed the highest in the 3.9 million hungry Filipinos nationwide.
She said the survey also showed more people experienced moderate hunger (15.6 percent) while those who experienced severe hunger remained the same at 3.6 percent.
The survey revealed that those who experienced moderate hunger went hungry at least one or a few times during the past three months while those who suffered severe hunger were categorized to experience hunger often or always also during the past three months.
The survey also showed that more people from Mindanao (29.2 percent) are experiencing hunger followed by those from the National Capital Region (21.7 percent), the Visayas (15 percent) and the rest of Luzon (14.7 percent).
There was also an increase in the number of people who are categorized as food-poor (33.1 percent) and those who are self-rated poor (25.5 percent), up from 25.8 percent and 22.7 percent, respectively.
With the alarming state of hunger incidence in the country, President Benigno Aquino III gave NNC a time frame to set a target for the Philippine Plan of Action for nutrition 2011-2016, she said.
She said, “we only have three years to achieve that goal in which we will aim to reduce the percentage of households with inadequate calorie intake from 66.7 percent in 2008 to 32.8 percent in 2016.”
Tondanes said NNC is aiming at reducing the prevalence of underweight children aged five below from 20.6 percent in 2008 to 12.7 percent in 2016.
Hunger is a condition wherein people do not have enough food to provide the nutrients to become fully productive, active and healthy. It deprives people of their basic fundamental right to food.
Tondanes said malnutrition is one of the effects of hunger that deprives a person especially a growing child from having proper nutrients needed to be fully developed physically and mentally.
Based on the recent Social Weather Station survey, hunger incidence in the country this year has soared to 19.2 percent as compared to 16.3 percent last year.
rLGU participation
The LGUs should exercise political will for the program to reach their community and find means to fast-track projects that will focus on fighting hunger to meet the first Millennium Development Goal on eradicating extreme poverty and hunger.
To address hunger on the community level the LGU must ensure enough nutritious food security access at all times, where they will also be able buy, grow or acquire the food through a safety mechanism.
She said elected officials and stakeholders must collaborate in preventing child malnutrition by providing proper nutrition in the first 1000 days in the child’s life.
Tondanes also emphasized that a sustainable food system should be developed to provide food for the people, to preserve the environment, and to be resilient to the changing climate.
They are also encouraged to increase small-time farmers’ productivity and income while creating decent employment.
Tondanes said it is not solely on poverty where people claim they are hungry or malnourished. “It is a matter of proper education on the kind of food intake needed for our daily requirements,” she said.
rFood wastage
She said the other way to address the issues on hunger is – prevent food wastage.
Tondanes advised to eat or cook enough food citing that even just a grain of rice can save many lives.
A hunger-free community must establish home, community, and school vegetable gardens, raise poultry, small animals or fish both for home consumption and for selling to augment household income.
She said with these practical measures, hunger will then be addressed that would greatly contribute to the national growth and development of the country.
Tondanes emphasized that freedom from hunger would mean food security in every household which guarantees access of food at all times with enough nutritious food intake.