Sen. Risa Hontiveros. (Screen grab/Senate PRIB)
MANILA, Philippines — Senator Risa Hontiveros is backing the request of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) for an increase of P1.36 billion in its 2021 budget in order to allow the government to respond to a looming “hunger crisis” in the country.
Hontiveros on Wednesday explained that the proposed increase will help feed at least 1.94 million children, aged three to five years old, who are mostly undernourished and impoverished.
“If we want to prevent an epidemic of malnutrition and stunted growth among young children, we have to empower the DSWD and provide the necessary budgetary increases for our nationwide feeding programs,” Hontiveros said in a statement.
The P1.36 billion increase sought by the DSWD will be allocated to the government’s supplemental feeding program next year, a necessary support system for the neediest children.
Hontiveros cited a UNICEF report that said a third of Filipino children in the country experience stunted growth, landing the Philippines among the top 10 countries across the globe with the highest number of stunted children.
“With the difficult economic situation now, the number of Filipino children who are hungry, malnourished, and suffering from stunted physical growth will rise dramatically if the government fails to act soon,” she said.
She also pointed out that 7.6 million Filipino households have experienced “involuntary hunger” in the last three months, citing a recent Social Weather Stations survey.
This, she said, is the highest hunger incidence recorded in the country since 2014.
“Sa mga darating na buwan, hindi lang COVID-19 ang matinding banta sa kalusugan ng kabataang Pinoy ngayon. Kailangan din natin agarang aksyunan ang malawakang pagkagutom na direktang nakakaapekto sa milyon-milyong tahanan sa buong bansa,” Hontiveros said.
The present version of the DSWD budget pending before lawmakers does not include the additional P1.36 billion for the supplemental feeding program, the senator said, so she called on her colleagues “to help correct this situation and see to it that the government’s feeding programs get the funding they need.”
“Parehas lang ang nailaan na budget ng DSWD para sa supplemental feeding program sa 2021 kumpara sa kasalukuyang taon: P 3.7 billion. Ni piso ay walang itinaas ang pondo natin para matulungan ang mga nagugutom na bata. This is unacceptable, and we should do something about it,” she also said.