HOOUSE Special Committee on Food Security Chair Rep. Raymond Adrian “Adrian” Salceda said the latest Tugon ng Masa (TNM) survey indicates that the Department of Social Welfare and Development’s (DSWD) Walang Gutom 2027 program likely prevented a surge in hunger rates despite a sharp increase in self-rated food poverty.
“Di bale nang walang AKAP, basta walang gutom. Dagdagan natin ang budget ng DSWD’s Walang Gutom program na nagbibigay ng ₱3,000 food vouchers sa pinakamahihirap na pamilya para siguradong may pagkain sa bawat hapag. Ideally dagdagan natin ang budget ng DSWD para mas marami pa silang matulungan,” Salceda said.
He followed with an English statement for broader media reach: “If we have to choose, we can do without AKAP this year, as long as no Filipino goes hungry. Let us increase funding for DSWD’s Walang Gutom program, which gives ₱3,000 in food vouchers to the poorest families so that every household can put food on the table. Ideally, we should increase the budget of the DSWD so it can help more people.”
From April to July 2025, self-rated food poverty rose from 35 percent to 43 percent, equivalent to around 11.3 million families. However, self-rated hunger stayed at 13 percent or about 3.4 million families, suggesting that direct food aid may have played a role in cushioning the effects of higher food prices.
“Kung walang dagdag na pagkain o tulong na direktang nakakarating sa hapag ng pamilya, tataas din ang bilang ng nagugutom. This is the clearest signal yet that direct food assistance works and should be expanded,” he said.
He added in English: “If we stop direct food support that reaches families quickly and reliably, hunger will rise. This is clear proof that targeted food assistance is effective and must be scaled up.”
Salceda also warned that improvements in inflation are not translating into better food sufficiency for many households. Headline inflation has slowed in recent months, but OCTA’s survey shows that 43 percent of families still rate themselves as food poor.
“Ang ipinapakita ng datos, kahit gumaganda ang inflation nitong mga nakaraang buwan, hindi ito nararamdaman sa kakayahan ng mga pamilya na makabili at makakain ng sapat. Kung ganito ang sitwasyon, malinaw na may malalim tayong problema sa food security na kailangang tugunan,” Salceda said.
He added in English: “The recent easing of inflation should have made it easier for families to eat well. The fact that it has not means we have a deeper food security problem that needs urgent attention.”
Mindanao recorded a 19 percentage point drop in hunger, bringing its self-rated hunger level down to just 4 percent from 23 percent in April. Salceda said such results should be studied to determine which interventions worked and how they can be applied nationwide.
Salceda also announced that as one of its first hearings, the House Special Committee on Food Security will conduct briefings on the state of hunger in the country, using the latest survey data as a basis for policy action.
“We will convene the committee early to hear from DSWD, the Philippine Statistics Authority, OCTA, and other agencies on the true state of hunger and food poverty. The objective is to ensure that our legislative agenda matches the urgency of the problem,” he said.
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