PSA Speaks on Food Threshold amid It Earned Criticisms
PSA – The Philippine Statistics Authority is set to review the basis of the food threshold announced which is at Php 64 per person per day.
Undeniably, there are countless families in the Philippines who are living in poverty. The massive squatter areas in the country is one testament that a lot of people are financially challenged and are faced with a constant pursuit to provide food in the table.
In most financially-challenged households, the main property is food. All the other aspects such as the payment of the utility bills, the school fees of the children, the health needs, and many others often fall second to the pursuit of providing food in the table so everyone can eat.
Sadly, not all Filipino families can eat at least thrice a day. Previously, in a Senate hearing, the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) expressed that the food threshold until 2023 has remained at Php64 per person/day.
Based on a report on GMA News Balitambayan, the Philippine Statistics Office or more popularly called PSA expressed that they will review the basis of the Php64 per person/day food threshold in the Philippines.
The Php64 per person/day food threshold means that the amount is enough for food so a person will not be considered “food poor”. However, due to the inflation rate in the Philippines now, it earned countless criticisms from the public.
Many Filipinos that Php 64 per person daily is not anymore enough so one can eat breakfast, lunch, snacks, and dinner in a way that meets the body’s daily nutritional requirement.
Based on the report, the PSA agreed that Php 64 is not enough to meet the daily nutritional requirement of the body so it has decided to study again the basis that was used to come up with the food threshold. In a press briefing in Quezon City, National Statistician Claire Dennis Mapa explained there was the application of Science in the computation of the food threshold.
According to Mapa, it was based on the sample food bundles which include breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks that can provide the nutrition needed by the body. The said food bundle worth Php 64 was computed to provide the following:
- 100% energy
- 123% protein
- 119% calcium
- 80% iron
- 131% Vitamin A
- 88% Thiamin
- 80% Riboflavin
- 249% Niacin
- 106% Vitamin C
Meanwhile, despite that there was the application of Science in the computation of the food threshold, based on the report, Mapa also believes that Php 64 per person daily is “insufficient”. He tagged that it includes a “very basic” food bundle which many people may not be happy about.
