MANILA, Philippines Hunger and poverty threaten the Philippines, said the head of the World Food Program (WFP) of the United Nations during a forum at the Ateneo de Manila University.
The Philippines is one of the countries hard-hit by poverty and hunger in the Asian region," said Stephen Anderson, country director of the UN World Food Program.
He said Filipino households with low income are on the front line of poverty as they spend 60 percent of their earnings on food.
High food prices plunge them deeper into poverty and make them more vulnerable to its effects. The crisis creates drastically increased levels of poverty and hunger," Anderson said.
WFP data reveal that the price of rice in the Philippines has increased by 40% since the start of the year.
In a study by the Asian Development bank, a 10 percent increase alone in the price of rice causes an additional 660,000 people in the poverty rate," Anderson said.
Silent tsunami
To illustrate its effects, Anderson likened the soaring food prices to a silent tsunami."
Like a tsunami, the WFP has somehow foreseen [the food crisis], but everything came up very quickly leaving the vulnerable most harmed," he said.
Silent signs were already perceived before the crisis hit the world, and yet it has seemingly engulfed poor nations in particular, he added.
Anderson highlighted the gravity of the situation, saying the soaring prices of food is not an isolated issue.
When food is expensive, poor families tend to cut meals and substitute less nutritious foods. Those who live in rural areas sell their buffalos or oxen just to earn their keep. More children withdraw from school as well," Anderson said.
He said the WFP uses all necessary measures to moderate poverty.
In the Philippines, the WFP re-established its presence in 2006 when the government requested assistance for the Mindanao peace process. The WFP has provided food security needs of vulnerable populations living in conflict-affected areas.
The organization continues to offer support for national disaster response. In the wake of typhoon Frank" last June, WFP volunteers participated in relief operations.
The WFP aims to expand its emergency responses and humanitarian assistance and invest in social protection.
It also works closely with the government in planning and implementing hunger reduction programs.
We make the children take home food rations to share with their families," Anderson said.
He said Mindanao remains the WFP's focus because the region shares poverty indicators far below the national average.
The WFP has set a two-pronged program in Mindanao, Anderson said. The first goal, to meet the immediate needs of the vulnerable population," is used to develop the second, which is to build resilience and contribute to global food and nutrition security in the longer terms," he said.
Anderson said the WFP carefully maps its actions through "research-gathering and intensive studies."
The research process involves assessing the situation of the poor community, finding out what the people specifically need, how long these people will need assistance, and what will the most fitting approach be, he said.
You need a lot of information to outline an appropriate response. You cannot launch something from thin air without planning and design," Anderson said.
The WFP believes that economic development and self-sufficiency are what the country has to aspire for to eliminate the problem in hunger and poverty.
Speaking before Ateneo students, Anderson urged young Filipinos to take part in advocacies that support communities and to volunteer their time for causes that seek to put an end to hunger and poverty. - GMANews.TV