Senator Loren Legarda renewed her urgent call to address hunger in the Philippines, anchored on empathy, sustainability and the strength of local communities.
“Imagine families having to sleep through hunger simply because they have no choice. Food is a right, not a privilege,” Legarda said, as quoted in a news release on Friday.
Despite the country’s agricultural abundance, hunger continues to afflict millions.
A recent Social Weather Stations survey showed that one in four Filipino families, or about 7.5 million households, experienced involuntary hunger in the past three months, the highest recorded since the start of the pandemic.
Meanwhile, the Global Hunger Index categorizes the Philippines’ hunger level as “moderate,” underscoring ongoing structural issues in food access and distribution.
A staunch advocate of sustainable living, Legarda cultivates herbs and vegetables in her backyard in between legislative work, but she emphasizes that the fight against hunger must be rooted not only in policy but in collective community-based solutions.
“Look at Barangay Holy Spirit in Quezon City, a decades-old gulayan sa barangay (vegetable garden in the village) has sustained families with fresh produce, livelihood, and eco-products made from recycled waste,” she said. “These are small but powerful wins, grounded in care and local resilience.”
The four-term senator emphasized the urgency of fully implementing laws that critically impact agriculture and food security, including those she authored and sponsored, such as:
- Agri-Agra Reform Credit Act (RA 10000) – ensures credit access for farmers and agrarian reform beneficiaries;
- Organic Agriculture Act (RA 10068) – promotes sustainable, chemical-free farming practices; and
- Food and Drug Administration Act (RA 9711) – strengthens food safety and consumer protection.
She stressed that these laws must be complemented by grassroots programs that empower families and communities to take part in building resilient food ecosystems through Gulayan sa Paaralan (vegetable garden in school), edible landscaping, community composting, and partnerships with groups like Rural Rising Philippines (RuRi).
Legarda also conducts rescue buys from farmers, who are struggling to sell their crops, aiming to prevent food wastage and address hunger at the same time.
In February, Legarda bought one ton of cauliflowers from farmers in Santa Catalina, Ilocos Sur, through RuRi, and which were distributed to 700 residents of Tatalon, Quezon City, most of whom are indigents.
She also launched the Bayong-All-You-Can (BAYC) initiative in the Senate in 2023, where tons of fresh farm produce are purchased from farmers across the country and brought to the Senate.
The Senate employees are then invited to fill traditional bayongs (native utility bags) made by Laguna weavers with fresh fruits and vegetables that would have otherwise gone to waste.
Legarda likewise co-authored and pushed for the passage of the Zero Food Waste Bill, which seeks to institutionalize the recovery and redistribution of surplus edible food from commercial establishments to food-insecure communities.
“We don’t need grand solutions. We need committed ones,” Legarda said. “I’ve seen how a single garden can change a household. Now imagine what we can achieve as a nation when we till, grow and rise together.” (PNA)
