Prices of basic commodities sold in Metro Manila wet markets, groceries and supermarkets remain high based on the latest Department of Agriculture (DA) report. The prevailing price of pork is P350 per kilogram, while dressed chicken is being sold for P160 per kg. Last year, pork was cheaper by P100 per kilo, while the price of dressed chicken was lower by P30, according to the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA).
Data from the DA as of June 14 showed that some vegetables are also more expensive this year compared to prices last year. For instance, the price of a kilo of native pechay rose by 12.5 percent year-on-year to P90, while that of habitchuelas or Baguio beans went up by 50 percent to P120 per kilo. The prevailing prices of carabao mango and Lakatan banana were also higher this year.
These figures underscore the findings by the World Bank that a healthy diet carries a hefty price tag in the Philippines (See, “Healthy diets too costly even for average Pinoys,” in the BusinessMirror, June 15, 2021). The report titled “Undernutrition in the Philippines: Scale, Scope, and Opportunities for Nutrition Policy and Programming,” revealed that healthy diets remain elusive for many Filipinos. Based on the Cost of the Recommended Diet (CoRD) methodology, the World Bank said a healthy diet costs P68 per adult per day in the Philippines, but households only spent P48.
Because nutritious food was beyond their reach, Filipinos mostly consumed rice or starches. The report found that the consumption of starches even exceeded the recommended level to make up for their inability to access other sources of protein, vitamins and minerals. It noted that Filipinos consumed only 22 percent of the requirement for vegetables, 10 percent for fruits, 12 percent for eggs, 79 percent for meat and pulses, and 33 percent for milk.
If this trend continues, the Philippines may be hard pressed to beat malnutrition and prevent stunting and intellectual disability among the youth. An unhealthy work force does not bode well for the country’s aim of further increasing incomes. Health problems that may arise due to the failure of Filipinos to access nutritious food would also threaten our health-care system.
Access to nutritious food is particularly crucial in the time of the Covid-19 pandemic. A six-country study indicated that people who ate fish and vegetables but no meat had 59 percent lower odds of severe disease, according to a Reuters report. Experts noted that plant-based diets that are rich in nutrients, vitamins and minerals are important for healthy immune systems, while many kinds of fish have anti-inflammatory properties.
It makes a lot of sense for the government and the private sector to invest in interventions that would improve the access of Filipinos to a healthy diet. Aside from the obvious benefit of having healthy citizens, lower food costs would also allow Filipinos to spend their income on other goods and services, which will pave the way for the expansion of businesses.
While solving malnutrition in the Philippines must remain a top government priority, there has been little progress in addressing undernutrition among the populace. The Philippines must rethink its food production strategies if it is seriously bent on eliminating poverty and hunger and achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.