Roque: Gov’t has more to do in addressing hunger amid COVID-19 pandemic

The Duterte administration has a lot more to do to address hunger amid the COVID-19 pandemic, presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said Friday.

Roque was responding to the poll done by the Department of Science and Technology’s Food and Nutrition Research Institute (FNRI) showing that six in 10 Filipino families had little to no food amid the COVID-19 pandemic with 62% of Filipino families experiencing moderate to severe food insecurity.

The same DOST-FNRI poll also revealed that 71.8% of the respondents are forced to borrow money just to be able to buy food, while 66.3% asked for food from their relatives, neighbors and friends.

“Ginagawa natin ang lahat para masolusyunan ang kagutuman sa panahon ng pandemya, pero alam natin na mas marami pang dapat gawin,” Roque said during the Laging Handa briefing.

(We are doing everything we can to address hunger amid the pandemic but we know that we need to do more.)

Roque said that aside from the grant of cash aid and distribution of food packs under localized lockdown which are separate from financial assistance given to employees and small businesses, the government will continue to find ways to do more.

“Naiintindihan po natin na kapag hindi nakakapagtrabaho ang ating mga kababayan ay ang resulta po talaga ay kagutuman. Kaya nga ang pahabain itong lockdown at napakahirap na desisyon,” Roque added, referring to unemployment resulting from implementation of quarantine protocols which limits operations of business and other services to prevent COVID-19 transmission.

(We recognize that the absence of jobs will result in hunger, that is why extending these lockdown restrictions is a very tough decision to make.)

Over 500,000 workers remain displaced with modified enhanced community quarantine (MECQ) protocol still in effect in Metro Manila, Bulacan, Cavite, Rizal and Laguna until May 14.

The MECQ protocol bans non-essential trips and partially shuts down non-essential businesses and services from operating.

President Rodrigo Duterte has apologized for the prolonged MECQ, saying it was necessary to stop COVID-19 transmission and decongest hospitals.

The DOST-FNRI survey came out just as 800 community pantries blossomed in the country for the last two weeks, with many people lining up for hours just to get free food from these aid stations supported by civilian and uniformed personnel donors. — RSJ, GMA News