Localizing anti- hunger programs

BANTAY GOBYERNO  

Ike Señeres

Hunger and poverty statistics are often intertwined, but these two metrics are not supposed to comparable, because their research designs are different from each other. Hunger data is gathered from surveys wherein the respondents would say how many times they experienced it in the past three months or so.

Poverty data is gathered from censuses that measure how many households would fall below the poverty line, because they could not afford to buy an imaginary basket of goods, or they are not earning enough money for them to go above a certain threshold. Even if these two metrics are not comparable, it would be reasonable to say that the respondents who would say that they experience hunger are probably those who would fall below the poverty line.

In theory, both hunger and poverty could be eradicated, at least from a statistical perspective. The reason for this is very simple. If there are no respondents who will say that they have experienced hunger, then the hunger rate would go down to zero. In the same manner, if the censuses will say that all households could already afford the imaginary basket of goods, then the poverty rate would also go down to zero. As it looks now however, it seems that it would be easier to aim for a zero hunger rate, than to aim for a zero poverty rate.

Obviously, it would not be intellectually honest if we were to give people money so that they could go above the poverty threshold. However, it is fair and square if we could give them access to some items in the imaginary basket of goods, so that they would not have to buy it on their own. In the same manner, it would be fair and square to give food stamps to people on welfare, so that would no longer experience hunger. This is being done in so many other countries, and there is no reason why it could not be done here.

 When I say that hunger and poverty could be eradicated statistically, I also mean doing it technically. In the case of hunger, the technicality could happen if respondents would say that they are no longer experiencing it during the survey period. In the case of poverty, the technicality could happen if the censuses would show that the people already have access to certain items in the imaginary basket of goods, even if they would not have to buy these items, considering that they could not really afford to buy these items in the first place. Somehow, in some possible ways, food or access to food appears to be the common denominators that could make these technicalities happen (again in theory).

 To set a goal that would eradicate hunger and poverty nationally would seem impossible as of now, but these could become realistic if the goals are set locally. The reason for this is also very simple. Since there are more than enough people in a locality who could afford to share their food with those who are hungry, then no one has to experience hunger anymore. If this idea sounds too idealistic, the practical alternative is for the local people to grow their own food primarily for their own needs, but secondarily to share with others. There could be an unexpected bonus to this approach. Since food is the major item in the imaginary basket of goods, then access to food would increase, and therefore more households could go above the poverty line (again in theory).

As it is supposed to be, all the local Mayors are supposed to know who among their constituents are actually hungry and poor. There is no way that they could say otherwise, because the data from surveys about hunger and the censuses about poverty are available for them to read and study, whether they like it or not. While many of these Mayors would say that they have read the data and that they are doing something about these twin problems, it is also a known fact that not too many of them are actually setting statistical goals to reduce the numbers of those who are hungry and poor, until the end of their terms of office. Sad to say, some of them would not even know the difference between poverty reduction and poverty alleviation.

Giving people access to certain items in the imaginary basket of goods should just be a short term strategy, because the long term strategy should be to remove people from the poverty line is to give them the means of income, so that they would be able to acquire these items on their own, using their own money. Towards this goal, the short term strategy should be to give them jobs. Difficult as it may be, the long term strategy should be to help these people so that they could have their own business, not matter how small it is. As it is now, most local government units (LGUs) already have their own Public Employment Service Office (PESO). It is about time that they should also have their own Small and Medium Enterprise Office (SMEO).

I am sure that it is not beyond the means of LGUs to conduct their own localized hunger and poverty surveys. In this connection, they do not even have to wait for the quinquennial censuses, because five years is too long to wait, and besides, a lot of data could change during that long period. What is important is for the Mayors of these LGUs to know the hunger and poverty data in their own local jurisdictions, so that they could set their own hunger reduction and poverty reduction goals.  As it is supposed to be, these goals should be in the agenda of the Municipal Development Councils (MDCs), and should eventually be elevated to the agenda of the Regional Development Councils (RDCs).

Just as it does not take rocket science to conduct these surveys, it does not take rocket science either to grow food locally within an LGU. Old and new technologies for food production are available everywhere, and even the urbanized LGUs could implement their own urban gardening programs. Even the landlocked LGUs could now implement their own aquaponics projects, so that they could produce fish and vegetables at the same time. Aside from that, new technologies are now available so that poultry and livestock could be raised in urban areas, without the bad smell that usually came with it. We have the land, we have the technologies. Let us do it!

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