Introduction

Sustainable Development Goal 3, Good Health and Well-being, is far from achieving by 2030.
Due to the constraints such as economic recovery from Covid-19 pandemic, conflicts such as
Russia-Ukraine war, Israel-Palestine war, and inflations from every part of the world. Food
insecurity continues to persist despite plans from international communities and non-state actors.
Although there are food security plans such as The Zero Hunger Challenge of the United Nations
it is still unattainable due to the circumstances such as lack of systematic approach, complex
global situations, and the food insecurity (Sporchia et al., 2024b).
In relation to Good Health and Well-being, established network of food security is crucial in
achieving nutritional awareness. According to World Health Organization, nutrition is a critical
part of health and development of a human being, in this sense, nutrition plays a vital role in our
health condition, without proper nutrition, the human body will be vulnerable to diseases. A
healthy person can learn better and with adequate nutrition, people will be more productive and
can create opportunities. It also directly impacts human health conditions and economic
development of the state. Accessibility to food security can lead to stability and security; all
people should have access to food to function well. Food insecurity will continue to create
displacement of people, instability and ripple throughout countries, regions, and beyond (Food
Security – What It Means and Why It Matters | World Food Programme, 2025).
But what exactly is food security and why is it important? Food security means that a person
living in a country has enough to eat and has access to food. It also means that all people have
access to nutritious foods. It is also a measure of the current state of the people in the country; it
also reflects the policies that the government must ensure the proper distribution of food and
ensure that it reaches every person in a community. Food security is important because it
provides security and stability to a country. It also promotes humane solutions and policies that
will help the country's economy. A country with secure food for every citizen is a country where
all people are happy and content to live.
The Philippines is one of the countries with large agricultural lands that provide employment in
rural areas. One of the benefits of agricultural areas or lands, it provides rice, livestock,
vegetables and fruits that are important for human nutrition. The Philippines is also rich in water,
it is surrounded by bodies of water which are also one of the main livelihoods of the people
living near it. One of the benefits they provide to the Philippine economy is fishing. But despite
all this, the Philippines still lags behind when it comes to accessibility of food and ensuring that
everyone has enough to eat. Despite the policies implemented by our government, such as the
4'ps, Food Security Act of 2013, and the establishment of Nutritional Councils such as the
National Nutritional Council or better known as NCC, food security in the country continues to
be a problem.
According to IBON Foundation, the current state of the food security in the Philippine are
worsening. In the latest report of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization, the
Philippines are among the countries in Southeast Asia, with being third highest incidence of
severe and moderate food insecurity about 44.1% of the population after Timor-Leste with 53.7%
and Cambodia with 50.5% of the population. This data translates into the Philippines having the
highest number of food insecurity incidence compared to other Southeast Asian countries. With
51 million of its population continue to suffer from insufficient access to food and nutrition;
despite having a Food Security Act of 2013, it still lacks action and the problem persists.
Although the policies put in place by the government, statistical data still shows that the
Philippines still has a problem with food security. Despite its abundant resources, it still has
problems with the distribution and accessibility of food. Looking at the existing policies that
provides solutions to food insecurity is Republic Act 11037. This act institutionalized the
national feeding program for undernourished children in public schools such as day care centers,
kindergarten, and elementary schools to combat the hunger and malnutrition among the Filipino
children.
The National Food Policy of NFP was established during the Duterte administration. One of the
authors of this policy is Karlo Nograles. One of the objectives of this policy is to follow the
United Nations' Zero Hunger Challenge. Its goal is to end hunger and malnutrition worldwide by
2030. This policy aims to achieve sustainable agriculture, to end hunger and malnutrition. The
NFP lays down six key result areas (KRAs) that will determine and address the issues involving
review of current policies, ensuring a steady supply of food during emergencies, access to food
and agricultural resources, as well as education and information campaigns to get more citizens
involved in the program (National Nutrition Council (NNC), Republic of the Philippines, 2025).
But despite having a sound policy against food insecurity, there are still a few gaps that need to
be addressed so that it can be effective. One of the gaps that were seen in the policy laid out by
Karlo Nograles is its weak binding force. It has no legislative mandate, and it is an executive
order so its funding will be problematic, the enforcement of this policy may also be weak
because it did not go through legislation. And finally, insufficient protection for agricultural
lands. Although this is not a problem of Nograles' department, it is also one of the reasons why
the policy will be difficult to implement.
In terms of Republic Act 11037, the beneficiaries of this policy are limited. According to Bam
Aquino, the policy should be extended to ages 2 to 3. The policy should also cover adolescent
pregnant mothers to prevent problems such as malnutrition or diseases that they may contract
during pregnancy as well as the baby in their womb. Budgeting, resource allocation, and
implementation are also problems with this policy. Even though the law mandates that there
should be an appropriate budget every year, there are still reports of limited budgets per child.
The example cited here by the Second Congressional Commission on Election is that children
only have 15 pesos per day when it comes to budgeting. This became only 25 pesos a few years
later (Communications, 2025).
This study aims to examine current policy gaps and relation of the food security policies to
Philippine politics. It will also measure the nutritional awareness of the Filipino with their
dietary practices. It will also analyze the positive and negative effects of the policies made by the
government related to food accessibilities. The research will focus on the measurement of the
nutritional intake and awareness of the low-income families. The findings will offer a statistical
data and will provide a policy recommendations for the future researchers, policy makers and
nongovernmental organizations aim to fight the food insecurity.
Background
Food security remains a source of instability and hunger in the country. There are many reasons
why food shortages occur. Among them are non-self-sufficient agriculture, lack of attention to
the food sector, agriculture and food sources, and lack of strong and sustainable policies. In the
Philippines, the government established the National Nutritional Council whose job is to provide
policies on the development of nutritional foods and provide methods on how to combat
malnutrition (National Nutrition Council (NNC), Republic of the Philippines, 2025b). One of the
policies laid down by the NNC is the Philippine Plan of Action for Nutrition or PPAN. It is a
blueprint to improve the nutritional status of the Filipino people. It is a guide to educate Filipinos
on what foods to eat and address health problems and promote nutritional awareness. This is a
six-year plan that aims to end malnutrition in the country and make Filipinos healthier by
providing lists of foods to eat. It is an action plan and a reminder about nutrition (National
Nutrition Council (NNC), Republic of the Philippines, 2025b).
Researchers will discuss the causes and reasons for food insecurity and access to food. This
study will also explore the possibilities of how politics affects food security and whether
Filipinos are aware of this type of policy that exists regarding nutritional awareness, dietary
practices, and food security. This study will also identify policies that need to be improved and
strengthened so that more people can be helped. It will also reveal where the problems of food
security and nutritional deficiencies of the Filipino people come from.