Hunger has surged under the Marcos Jr administration, driven by low family incomes and rising prices, according to research group IBON Foundation.
The group highlighted that involuntary hunger has more than doubled since the administration began, increasing from 11.6% (2.9 million families) in June 2022 to 27.2% (7.5 million families) in March 2025, based on Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey data.
IBON attributed this alarming trend to persistently low wages and high living costs.
As of February 2025, the average daily minimum wage of Php469 falls significantly short of the Php1,227 family living wage required for a family of five.
Additionally, Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) data revealed that 74% of households (20.1 million) lacked any form of savings by the fourth quarter of 2024.
Meanwhile, food prices have risen by 16% between June 2022 and February 2025, according to the Philippine Statistics Authority.
IBON emphasized that these figures expose the gap between the government’s claims of economic progress and the harsh realities faced by millions of Filipinos. (ZIA LUNA)
