On June 12, 2013, during the celebration of the 115th anniversary of the country’s proclamation of independence, President Benigno Aquino III said:
"Let us not wait three hundred years, or three decades, or even three years, before we resolve to come together and gain freedom from hunger, poverty, or whatever threatens our sovereignty and security. It is not right for Filipinos to have to stand suffering for even one minute longer.”
Before he became president, and during his campaign for the presidency in 2010, he declared, "The first step has to be freedom from hunger. Once that is settled, the other empowering can take place.”
President Aquino’s dream has yet to be realized. People still go hungry, up to this day. Prices of rice and galunggong, according to the Philippine Statistical Agency (PSA), have gone up. And people could ill afford to buy food.
FOR LOVE OF COUNTRY. President Benigno Aquino III leads Independence Day celebrations at Liwasang Bonifacio. Screenshot from Rappler's livestreamFOR LOVE OF COUNTRY. President Benigno Aquino III leads Independence Day celebrations at Liwasang Bonifacio. Screenshot from Rappler's livestream
The PSA estimated that in 2012, the proportion of Filipino families in extreme poverty whose incomes are not sufficient to meet basic food needs stands at 7.5%, or about 10.4 million families. This is almost the same as figures in 2009 — about 7.9%, or roughly 10.9 million families.
#HUNGERPROJECT- Mr. President, please take the lead on hunger
