Helping the ‘invisible’ poorest of the poor

The United Nations has designated Oct. 16 each year as World Food Day.

- POPOY DE VERA

On this day, the global community is urged to raise awareness and take action for those suffering from hunger and to emphasize the importance of ensuring healthy diets for everyone.

President Bonebong Marcos has promised to help the poorest of the poor, saying that no Filipino should go to bed hungry and that no community will be overlooked in our fight against poverty.

He directed all government agencies and local government units to strengthen efforts toward zero hunger, food and nutrition security and sustainable agriculture.

But who are the poorest of the poor, and what is the government doing to help them?

Among the nation’s basic sectors, the fisherfolk are the poorest of the poor. The Philippine Statistics Authority states that the poverty incidence among fisherfolk has always been higher than the national average. The number of impoverished fisherfolk rose from 287,070 to 353,190 from 2018 to 2023.

Fisherfolk produce our food, but despite being food producers, they cannot afford enough food to remain economically and socially productive. The number of food-poor fisherfolk has worsened over time, increasing in 2021 (11,966,000) and 2023 (9,303,000) compared to 2018 (9,055,000).

The COVID-19 pandemic finally recognized the small-scale fishers as the nation’s food frontliners. As economic activities ground to a halt and food supplies were disrupted, the activities of small-scale fisheries became the primary source of nutritious food for communities.

But a pandemic should not be the best way to recognize the importance of small-scale fisheries in this country.