FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

12/10/07 - After 6-months War on Hunger, Hunger Rose to Record High Status

"The government's PhP 1 billion worth six-month hunger response which ended last September proved worthless," said Global Call to Action against Poverty (GCAP)-Philippines, a local network of non-government and people's organizations that is part of the biggest anti-poverty alliance in the world, "hunger has risen to its record high status since (mid-)1998 with 21.5% of families living with hunger."

"The government's PhP 1 billion worth six-month hunger response which ended last September proved worthless," said Global Call to Action against Poverty (GCAP)-Philippines, a local network of non-government and people's organizations that is part of the biggest anti-poverty alliance in the world, "hunger has risen to its record high status since (mid-)1998 with 21.5% of families living with hunger."

The latest survey results of the Social Weather Stations show that hunger has worsened, surpassing the previous record of 19 percent in November 2006 and February 2007. From 3.5 million families to the record high 3.8-million families (21.5 percent) experienced "involuntary hunger" at least once in the last three months.

The SWS survey last February 2007 prompted the government's declaration of the war against hunger with the release of a billion peso-fund designed to fund school feeding programs, food for work programs, and feeding programs run by religious and civic organizations, to alleviate hunger in depressed areas in Metro Manila and in some provinces that have high incidence of hunger.

Strategic solutions and not band-aid solutions needed to combat hunger
"This just shows how ineffective the government hunger intervention programs are," said GCAP-Philippines, "we said it in March and we say it again, more strategic solutions, rather than palliatives or stop-gap solutions are needed to fight worsening hunger."

GCAP-Philippines continued that the PhP 1 billion worth six-month hunger mitigation program of the government, which began last March, could have been put to better use rather than just for stop-gap measures. The funds were released during the election period, which prompts us to question the timing; the money could have been used to fund the election campaign of administration candidates.

To boost the government's hunger and poverty mitigation measures, President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo recently increased the budget for her Food-for-School Program (FSP) in 2008 to P3.3 billion, a 1.2 percent increase from this year's FSP allocation of P2.75 billion.

"When will this administration listen to the people, these huge amounts of money allocated to these stop-gap measures are all temporary responses to hunger and does not provide long-term solutions to the worsening state of the Filipinos," GCAP-Philippines reiterated. "What is the National Anti-Poverty Commission, which the President herself is on-top of, doing?"

Can you live with PhP 41 for all your food and non-food needs in a day?
"According to official data 1 out of 4 Filipinos are poor, but if you have 41 pesos (national poverty threshold) in a day for all your food and non-food needs then you are not poor," GCAP-Philippines continued, "PhP 41 is not enough for any person to live a decent life with, the government is mocking us all by saying so."

GCAP-Philippines added that the indecently low poverty threshold of the government implies the low standard of living the government is setting for Filipinos, which masks the true state of poverty in the country. Six years under the GMA administration, hunger, poverty and inequality have worsened. In the past few years, household incomes have gone down by 10% and most Filipinos have problems making ends meet because of skyrocketing prices of goods and services.

Increase purchasing power of the poor
GCAP-Philippines further states, "If the President is really serious in fighting poverty, her administration should increase budget allocation to social services such as education, health, water and housing, generate decent and sustainable employment anchored on a clear agro-industrial plan that would eventually increase the purchasing power of the poor and help lift them out of poverty."

According to GCAP, more than 50 percent of the labor force or roughly 16.1 million Filipino workers earn wages that hover around the poverty threshold (pegged at PhP40 per person per day). This means that the workers' low income, combined with skyrocketing prices of goods and services, fuels the rising poverty and hunger in the country.

"We are indeed facing a war on hunger, but this war begins with the government facing up to the true state of poverty and hunger in the Philippines. If the government is really doing their job in poverty reduction, then why do they need external surveys to tell them that hunger and poverty is rising? In fact, if they were really doing their job, our people would not be facing worsening hunger," said GCAP-Philippines.

GCAP-Philippines is inviting all Filipinos to join the global Stand Up and Speak Out against Poverty and Inequality campaign. On October 17, GCAP-Philippines will commemorate the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty with the Anti-Poverty Fair. The Fair will have workshops on burning issues of the day, booths showcasing and selling products of local communities and advocacy material, tiangges, and other cultural and artistic activities. It will be held in Liwasang Aurora in Quezon Memorial Circle in Quezon City. It is also part of the Philippine Week of Action against Illegitimate Debt, Unfair Trade and Worsening Poverty, a campaign co-sponsored with other non-governmental organizations and networks.

Contact Persons:
May-i Fabros, GCAP-Philippines Media Campaigner
+63917-2069803 or 920-8949
mayi_fabros@yahoo.com.ph
www.endpovertynow.org.ph
www.whiteband.org
www.standagainstpoverty.org

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