1 in 3 W. Visayas households experienced food insecurity

By Mariela Angella Oladive

About one in every three households in Western Visayas experienced moderate to severe food insecurity in 2023, according to the latest National Nutrition Survey (NNS) released by the Department of Science and Technology – Food and Nutrition Research Institute (DOST-FNRI).

Food insecurity is defined as a state in which people are at risk of, or actually suffer from, inadequate food consumption to meet nutritional requirements.

This condition can result from the physical unavailability of food, lack of social or economic access to adequate food, and/or poor food utilization.

During the NNS Dissemination Forum for the region on September 9, DOST-FNRI Senior Science Research Specialist Lynell Maniego reported that 32.5% of households in the region faced moderate to severe food insecurity.

“This means they had to compromise food quality and variety with quantity or even skip meals,” she said.

The data, based on the Food Insecurity Experience Scale (FIES), places Western Visayas slightly above the national average of 31.4% for moderate to severe food insecurity.

Meanwhile, 2.3% of households were classified as severely food insecure, experiencing extreme conditions such as going a day or more without eating, which is slightly lower than the national figure of 2.7%.

The survey further revealed disparities in food insecurity based on household size, residence, and wealth.

Households with more than five members had a higher rate of food insecurity at 37.3%, compared to 30.9% for smaller families.

Rural households experienced food insecurity at a rate of 34.6%, higher than the 23.1% observed among urban households.

Poor families faced the greatest risk, with 44.5% of poor households affected, nearly double the 27.1% rate among non-poor households.

Among all regions, Western Visayas ranked 11th highest in terms of moderate to severe food insecurity.

The 2023 National Nutrition Survey is part of DOST-FNRI’s ongoing efforts to provide empirical, science-based data on the health and nutrition status of Filipinos.

The survey uses the 2013 Master Sample of the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) and covers 117 areas nationwide, including 81 provinces and 33 highly urbanized cities.

Each survey area targeted an average of 384 households to ensure statistically reliable estimates both regionally and nationally.

Conducted from 2023 to 2024, the NNS aims to inform government programs and policies on nutrition, food security, and public health.