FARMERS AND members of the indigenous groups Ayta and Igorot from Luzon will be among those participating in today’s World Food Day activity organized by the National Food Coalition (NFC) at the Rizal Triangle Park in Olongapo City. The event is intended to call for government action on the proposed Zero Hunger Bill, also called the Right to Adequate Food Framework Bill, which will provide a constitutional mechanism for the basic right to food and addressing hunger in the country. NFC, in a statement, said they are seeking for the President’s stamp to make the proposal a priority bill. The Council for Health and Development (CHD), the national secretariat of more than 70 community-based health programs in the Philippines, said 2.2 million Filipino families, majority of whom live in rural areas, suffer from food scarcity and malnutrition due to extreme poverty and low income levels. Citing data from the Food and Nutrition Research Institute, CHD said malnutrition prevalence in the country has been worsening with stunting rate at 33.4% in 2015 from 30.3% in 2013. Chronic malnutrition among children 0-2 years old is at 26.2%.

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