Former senator and senatorial candidate Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan on Sunday, 6 April, laid out his platform for food security and hunger reduction at the launch of Kawa Pilipinas, a volunteer-driven community kitchen initiative held in Manila.

At the event, Pangilinan proposed a Libreng Almusal (Free Breakfast) program for all public school students from daycare to Grade 12. The initiative, he said, aims to ensure Filipino children have daily access to nutritious food and support their capacity to learn. He stressed that hunger and malnutrition remain major factors behind poor student performance and developmental challenges.

“This must be a priority. We’re facing an education crisis — our children are going to school hungry. One-third of them are stunted to varying degrees,” Pangilinan said in a mix of English and Filipino.

But for the program to be successful and sustainable, he emphasized that it must be built on a partnership between the government and the private sector.

“The ones with the deepest pockets are actually the private sector,” Pangilinan said, noting that the government contributes only about 20% of the country's GDP, while the private sector drives the rest.

As part of the proposal, Pangilinan plans to link at least half of the breakfast program’s food supply to local farmers and fisherfolk, boosting rural incomes and promoting farm-to-school sourcing.

The plan ties closely with the Sagip Saka Act, a law Pangilinan authored to allow national and local governments to buy produce directly from farmers and fisherfolk, bypassing the usual procurement barriers. He said the full implementation of this law, alongside targeted supply chain support, could dramatically lower food prices in urban centers.

“If that is the supply chain and it’s done right, we can actually reduce food prices by as much as 70, 60% of prevailing prices. Secure our farmers, secure the supply chain, bring them to Manila at deflated cost,” he said, pointing to pilot efforts like Oplan Sagip Kamatis in Nueva Ecija, which saved 12 tons of surplus tomatoes.

Five tons were bought directly by the Muntinlupa City government for use in feeding programs, while cities like Valenzuela and Parañaque are preparing similar purchases.

“All of us will benefit from 60% less cost of food,” he stressed.

The former senator lamented that “it’s a really difficult time for our people” as he noted the highest rating of self-rated poverty in the country since 2003.

“The highest level of hopelessness since 2009 and a lot has to do with food prices being very expensive. Gutom ang kapalit,” he said.

Pangilinan also bemoaned the welfare of farmers and fisherfolk. “They remain invisible. They remain forgotten. They remain voiceless. And what kind of society will say this is okay?”

And while it is critical to achieve food justice for consumers, the former senator also underscored the need to take care of farmers and fisherfolk.

“Unless we secure them, we cannot secure our food and prices will remain high and food will remain inaccessible,” he said.