Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on food insecurity was highest in 7 in 10 or 74.7% of households with children and 8 in 10 or 80.8% of households with pregnant members than in households without such members.
The Rapid Nutrition Assessment Survey (RNAS) of the Department of Science and Technology’s Food and Nutrition Research Institute (DOST-FNRI) revealed this in a virtual dissemination forum on “Food Security, Coping Mechanisms and Nutrition Services during the COVID-19 Pandemic” on January 6, 2021.
“Employment, food security, food accessibility, access to health and nutrition programs for children, including pregnant women, are priority concerns during pandemics and disasters in areas covered by RNAS”, DOST-FNRI Chief Science Research Specialist and Officer in-charge of the Office of the Director Dr. Milflor S. Gonzales stated in her opening message.
Addressing stakeholders from government agencies and private organizations involved in nutrition and health programs, Dr. Gonzales added that “these priority concerns may increase the percentages of nutrient deficiencies and undernutrition, leading to frequent illness that weaken the immune system, increases susceptibility to COVID–19 and other viral infections, resulting to tremendous medical cost, lost opportunities, and economic drain”.
“The DOST-FNRI’s call to action in terms of policy implication based on these results is that donations, government services and benefits must be decentralized from the Highly-Urbanized Cities (HUCs) and extended equitably to provinces with less resources and with minimal or no benefactors”, Dr. Gonzales emphasized.
Dr. Rowena Cristina L. Guevara, DOST Undersecretary for Research and Development (R&D), lauded the DOST-FNRI researchers for rapidly adopting to the challenges of the pandemic that halted the conduct of the Expanded National Nutrition Survey (ENNS) by still managing to implement an alternative and equally important survey, which is the RNAS.
Undersecretary Guevara enjoined the forum participants to “work together and cooperate to uphold the fundamental right to nutrition by making science and technology part of the solution”.
“I believe that your mere presence in this forum already symbolizes your willingness to partner with DOST-FNRI and other stakeholders” in addressing the challenges revealed by the RNAS results, Undersecretary Guevara stated with confidence.
“The Rapid Nutrition Assessment Survey (RNAS) provides a snapshot of the nutrition and food security situation of the country during the COVID-19 pandemic”, according to Dr. Imelda Angeles-Agdeppa, DOST-FNRI Chief Science Research Specialist, Scientist II and RNAS Project Leader.
Dr. Agdeppa, who presented the highlights of the results, further stated that “findings of the RNAS can aid policymakers in understanding the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on food and nutrition security of Filipinos and guide reprogramming and enhancing of appropriate programs”.
According to the RNAS, about 2 in 10 or 16.7% of household heads lost jobs during the pandemic, and this was highest at 18.1% in COVID-19 high-risk areas.
However, about 17% had job opportunities even during the pandemic, and this was highest in COVID-19 medium-risk areas at 18.6%, mostly service- and agriculture–related, the study revealed.
The survey further revealed that 6 in 10 or 62.1% of households experienced moderate or severe food insecurity.
Food insecurity was higher in low- and moderate-risk than in the high-risk areas because high-risk areas are in Highly-Urbanized Cities (HUCs), where food availability and accessibility might be easier due to local government unit (LGU), national government, or private assistance.
Areas*
Total Households Covered
High Risk
1,333
1. Parañaque City
302
2.Lapu-Lapu City
757
3. Pateros
274
Moderate Risk
2,413
1. Pangasinan
931
2. Southern Leyte
717
3. Zamboanga City
765
Low Risk
1,971
1. Angeles City
774
2. Guimaras
411
3. South Cotabato
786
*Based on IATF announcement on July 15, 2020 and number of COVID-19 positive cases
from the DOH NCOV tracker as of July 16, 2020.
According to the survey, the top coping strategies to avail of foods adapted by food-insecure families included purchasing food on credit (71.8%), borrowing food from relatives and neighbors (66.3%), barter or exchanging goods (30.2%) and, adults limiting amount of food intake in favor of children (21.1%).
Problems encountered by more than half or 56.3% of households in accessing food during community quarantine involved no money to buy food (22.1%), no public transportation and can’t go out (20.9%), and loss of job (19.5%).
The following were the intervention programs availed of by RNAS respondents during the pandemic:
96.6% received food assistance or “ayuda” from LGUs and other private and/or non-government organizations (NGOs), of which 48.9% received it 2-3 times.
Increased frequency of “ayuda” was noted in high-risk areas, of which 51.7% of surveyed households received it 4-7 times,
Only 2-3 times of “ayuda” were received by 57.6% of respondents in low-risk areas and 51.2% by medium-risk areas.
62.9% of households received cash assistance from either the national or local government units, of which more than half (58.7%) received it once.
About 56.4% of respondents in the high-risk areas received cash assistance 2 times.
In low-risk areas, 78.2% of surveyed households received cash assistance only once.
Basic nutrition and health services were also affected by COVID-19, as indicated by the significant reduction in the Operation Timbang (OPT Plus), vitamin A supplementation, supplementary feeding and deworming program participation as follows:
OPT plus- 51.1%
Vitamin A supplementation- 54.9%
Deworming- 35.3%
Supplementary feeding- 11.9%.
Gaps in accessing health facilities for maternal health services during pregnancy was likewise evident as:
15.5% of pregnant women had no prenatal check-up because:
39.1% expressed fear going to any health facility,
34.8% had no available transportation,
13.0 % were not aware of current pregnancy,
13.0% had no money to go to nearest health facility and
13% were busy, had no time, or were not interested.
In addition, the Barangay Health Center was reported by 69.6% to be the most accessible health facility for maternal health services, followed by private clinics (23.2%).
The survey also noted that 14.2% of pregnant women did not take vitamins and minerals supplements.
Fortunately, the pandemic did not affect drastically breastfeeding practices because:
59.7% of children 0-23 months were currently breastfed during COVID-19 pandemic.
60.8% of children 0-5.9 months were reported to be exclusively breastfed.
However, among mothers and caregivers who had access to breastfeeding and complementary feeding information:
Only 20.1% of mothers and caregivers had access to breastfeeding and complementary feeding messages.
Of particular importance to nutrition and health promotion programs are the sources of information on breastfeeding and complementary feeding that mothers and caregivers accessed that included:
67.1%- Healthcare facilities
25.9%- TV
22.8%- Social media
13.9%- Printed materials
7.6%- Radio
The RNAS also revealed the mothers’ perception and knowledge on child stunting as follows:
19.7% of mothers from the food-insecure families perceived their children to be stunted or short.
80% of mothers reported their children are not getting taller (“hindi tumatangkad”).
23.4% reported their children had lost weight.
66.7% said their children are stunted due to inadequate food intake.
39.4 % said hereditary or genetic influence was the cause of stunting.
Related to this, DOST Secretary Fortunato dela Peña, in a year-ender virtual presser on the RNAS results appealed to media partners to disseminate the call “that donations, government services and benefits must be decentralized from the Highly-Urbanized Cities (HUCs) and extended equitably to provinces with less resources and minimal or no benefactors"
Secretary dela Peña added that programs and projects are being rolled out nationwide by the DOST to help cushion the impact and help Filipinos cope with the challenges of the pandemic and disasters.
An example of these socio-economically relevant programs is the Malnutrition Reduction Program or MRP being implemented by DOST-FNRI nationwide.
The MRP is strategic nutrition intervention that combines the transfer of complementary food technologies developed by DOST-FNRI to entrepreneurs that supply rice-mongo complementary food blends and snacks to feeding programs of local government units (LGUs), private and civic organizations, and even the academe.
This is coupled with nutrition education trainings of nutrition and health workers, as well as mothers and caregivers of children six months to two years old, especially those who are underweight and stunted.
Another DOST program that benefits stakeholders nationwide, especially in the countryside, is the Small Enterprises Technology Upgrading Program or SETUP.
The SETUP provides financial and technical assistance to adoptors of DOST technologies and other entrepreneurs interested in improving the quality and productivity of their small business ventures.
The DOST provincial and regional offices are the public’s access to these services, DOST Secretary dela Peña further stated.
Dr. Anthony P. Calibo, DOST-FNRI Deputy Director, thanked the RNAS dissemination forum participants in his closing message, stating that the information provided is very important for policymakers and decision-makers to calibrate responses to the challenge of the pandemic.
The COVID-19 as a challenge requires focused attention and careful planning to properly respond to the needs of our clients, Dr. Calibo added.
Dr. Calibo pointed out that food insecurity will always be here and we hope lessons were learned based on the RNAS results.
One such lesson underscored by Dr. Calibo is basing our actions on science, evidence and facts, as we coordinate our efforts with all concerned sectors in preventing all forms of malnutrition and food insecurity.
Dr. Calibo assured forum participants that the DOST-FNRI will remain a strong partner in addressing all forms of malnutrition and food insecurity, partly by providing valuable and timely information for use by government and other stakeholders like allied organizations in food, nutrition and health, as well as the layman, as guide to science-based and enlightened decisions.
In closing, Dr. Calibo hopes that succeeding fora will reach out to other sectors in dire need of nutrition information and that science for change will be our guide in addressing malnutrition and food insecurity.
The RNAS dissemination forum was attended by Cabinet Secretary Karlo Alexei B. Nograles, DOST Undersecretary for Research and Development Dr. Rowena Cristina L. Guevara, other DOST and FNRI officials, national, regional, provincial, municipal and city officials of the Department of Health (DOH), National Nutrition Council (DOH-NNC), Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), Department of Agriculture (DA), Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) and the Department of Education (DepEd).
Also present during the forum are officials of the United Nations World Food Programme (UN-WFP), United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), Food and Agriculture Organization (UN-FAO), Nutritionist-Dietitians Association of the Philippines (NDAP), industry partners, municipal and city mayors of areas covered by RNAS and other stakeholders
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