Makabayan senatorial candidate and ACT Teachers Party-list Rep. France Castro condemned the Marcos Jr. administration for its failure to address the worsening hunger crisis in the country, as revealed by the recent Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey showing hunger rates at 27.2%, the highest since the pandemic.
“The alarming hunger rate is a damning indictment of the Marcos Jr. administration’s economic policies. While the President boasts of economic growth, 7.5 million Filipino families are going hungry,” Rep. Castro said. “Ito ang tunay na mukha ng ‘Bagong Pilipinas’ – isang Pilipinas kung saan dumadami ang nagugutom habang nagpapakasasa ang iilan.”
The SWS survey conducted from March 15-20, 2024, revealed that hunger was highest in the Visayas at 33.7%, followed by Metro Manila (28.3%), Mindanao (27.3%), and Luzon outside Metro Manila (24%).
Castro emphasized that inadequate wages are at the root of the hunger crisis. “The administration must immediately act on the across-the-board salary increase that workers have long been demanding. Ang P150 na dagdag sa minimum wage sa NCR ay kulang na kulang sa harap ng tumataas na presyo ng mga bilihin. Kailangan natin ng P750 daily wage increase nationwide at substantial salary increase para sa mga kawani ng gobyerno.”
Former ACT Teachers Party-list Rep. and current nominee Antonio Tinio also criticized the administration’s economic priorities. “The hunger statistics expose the government’s misplaced priorities. Instead of addressing the basic needs of our people, this government is focused on infrastructure projects that primarily benefit big business and foreign investors,” Tinio said.
“Kung seryoso ang administrasyong Marcos sa pagsugpo ng kagutuman, dapat pababain ang presyo ng mga pangunahing bilihin. Kailangan ng price control sa mga basic commodities at alisin ang excise tax sa petroleum products,” Tinio added.
Both Castro and Tinio also pushed for the immediate passage of a law mandating free lunch programs in public schools nationwide.
“One concrete solution to address child hunger is to provide free nutritious meals in schools. Hindi dapat pinagtatawanan o isinasantabi ang mga panukalang tulad nito. Sa halip, dapat itong gawing prayoridad ng administrasyon,” Castro emphasized.
“Habang nagpapakasarap ang mga nasa Malacañang, milyun-milyong Pilipino ang natutulog nang gutom. This administration must be held accountable for its neglect of the most vulnerable sectors of our society,” Tinio concluded.
The Makabayan bloc vowed to intensify their campaign for immediate economic relief measures including wage increases, price controls on basic commodities, and expanded social services to address the worsening hunger crisis.#
