By Kenneth Marcos 
Every day, enough food to fill over 200 garbage trucks is thrown away in Metro Manila—while millions of Filipinos go to bed hungry.
The contrast is staggering. Around 2,175 tons of food scraps are wasted across the capital daily, according to estimates. That’s enough to cover the entire Luneta Park—a space roughly the size of 58 football fields—with a five-centimeter-thick layer of rotting leftovers in just one week.
Yet, despite this overwhelming waste, more than 4.8 million Filipinos are classified as “food poor,” based on the latest data from the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA). These are families who earn less than the ₱9,581 monthly food threshold—the minimum needed by a family of five to meet their most basic nutritional needs.
While food poverty affects about 4.3% of the population, it reveals the most severe form of deprivation: families who cannot even afford enough rice, vegetables, or protein to survive. And while 17.5 million Filipinos live below the general poverty line, food poverty reflects the daily reality of hunger for the most vulnerable.
Experts say the issue is not that we don’t produce enough food. According to the Philippine Institute for Development Studies (PIDS), the real problem lies in how food is distributed, accessed, and valued. Food is often available in the markets—but not everyone can afford or reach it. At the same time, large amounts of edible food are wasted at home, in restaurants, stores, and supply chains.
Food waste doesn’t just worsen hunger—it also harms the planet. When food is dumped and left to rot in landfills, it produces methane, a greenhouse gas 28 times more harmful than carbon dioxide in trapping heat. In short, throwing away food doesn’t just waste meals—it fuels climate change.
The International Day of Awareness of Food Loss and Waste Reduction, observed every September 29, reminds us that even small choices—like buying only what we need, properly storing leftovers, or supporting food-sharing efforts—can help reduce waste and ease hunger.
Government agencies such as the Department of Agriculture, DOST-Food and Nutrition Research Institute, and Department of Social Welfare and Development are now working with global organizations like the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) to tackle this growing crisis.
Among their priorities: improving food recovery programs, supporting community kitchens, and promoting sustainable food systems where no edible food goes to waste.
In homes, schools, markets, and even farms, we all have a role to play. Saving food means saving lives—and protecting the planet for future generations.
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