Filipinos to Duterte administration: Our kids shouldn't be "bansot"

As President elect Rodrigo Duterte takes over the reigns of the Philippine government, the clamor for adequate food and good nutrition is as strong as ever.

“We have a lot of things yet to do to achieve food and nutrition security,” said Romeo Dongeto, Executive Director of the Philippine Legislators’ Committee on Population and Development (PLCPD).

Dongeto challenged the incoming President and members of the 17th Congress to prioritize ending hunger and malnutrition in the country.

He also reminded the incoming government officials of the new Sustainable Development Goals, which rest on the importance of human development in building a brighter future.

He stressed that number two among the 17 global goals is ending hunger, achieving food security, improving nutrition and promoting sustainable agriculture.

Poor implementation of laws and programs

“We have many good laws on food and nutrition. There are at least 21 government agencies with mandates that directly or indirectly affect the many facets of food and nutrition security,” Dongeto said, adding that there is; however, a need to review how these laws and programs are implemented.

“…millions of Filipinos still experience hunger, chronic malnutrition and micronutrient deficiency,” Dongeto lamented.

“The next government should look into a wide range of issues, from agriculture to trade, from infrastructure to financing, from healthcare to clean water and sanitation,” Dongeto also said.

In eradicating hunger in rural areas, Dongeto also called on the next government to develop the countryside, create sustainable livelihood and help farmers and fisherfolk withstand the impact of climate change and natural disasters.

Dongeto likewise called on Congress to enact a law that will provide adequate healthcare, clean water, sanitation and nutrition interventions in the first 1,000 days, or from womb to a child’s second birthday–the period most critical for physical and cognitive development.

Find out how many Filipino children below 5 years old are stunted or “bansot”, on the next page.

A persistent problem

Hunger and malnutrition have remained persistent problems in the country for far too long, with as much as 36% of Filipino families experiencing involuntary hunger on a monthly basis.

In 2015, according to the Social Weather Stations, 13.4% of Filipinos said they experienced hunger.

As of 2015, thirty-three in 100 children below 5 years old are stunted or too short for their age (“bansot”), while seven in 100 children of the same age bracket are wasted or too thin for their height, according to Food and Nutrition Research Institute.

Additionally, one in every 10 Filipino adults suffers from chronic energy deficiency, according to the 2013 National Nutrition Survey.

Read: 5 Duterte promises Pinoy parents should be aware of