Malacañang on Monday reaffirmed the government’s commitment to combating hunger following the results of the latest Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey which showed an increase in hunger incidence among Filipino families.

In a press briefing, Palace Press Officer Claire Castro responded to concerns over the rising number of Filipinos experiencing hunger, as reported in the survey.

She highlighted various government programs aimed at alleviating food insecurity, particularly through the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) such as the provision of food aid to 300,000 food-poor households and the “Walang Gutom Kitchen.”

The Palace official assured the public that the government would continue to assess and address hunger issues, particularly in determining the areas where hunger remains prevalent and working to address any gaps in assistance.

“Aaralin po natin kung saan nanggagaling itong mga sinasabi na nagugutom pa ang ibang mga kababayan natin at para malaman natin kung saang lugar ito at mayroon man pagkukulang ay maibsan po natin ang ganitong klaseng mga sitwasyon (We will study this, particularly where these claims of increased hunger rate come from so that we will know and identify the gaps and alleviate these types of situations),” Castro said.

The SWS survey conducted on March 15 to 20 showed that 27.2 percent of Filipino families nationwide, or about 7.5 million households, experienced involuntary hunger, at least once in the past three months.

This is the highest recorded instance since the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic in September 2020 when it was at 30.7 percent. It is also 7 percentage points above the 2024 annual hunger average of 20.2 percent. (PNA)