Senator Loren Legarda has reiterated her urgent plea to tackle hunger in the Philippines, emphasizing the importance of empathy, sustainability, and the resilience of local communities.

"Imagine families having to sleep through hunger simply because they have no choice. Food is a right, not a privilege," Legarda lamented in a statement on Saturday.

Legarda deplored hunger problem continues to afflict millions of Filipinos despite the country's agricultural abundance.

A recent Social Weather Stations survey showed that one in four Filipino families, or about 7.5 million households, experienced involuntary hunger in the past three months, the highest recorded since the start of the pandemic.

Meanwhile, the Global Hunger Index categorizes the Philippines' hunger level as "moderate," underscoring ongoing structural issues in food access and distribution.

A staunch advocate of sustainable living, Legarda cultivates herbs and vegetables in her own backyard when she's not busy with legislative duties. However, she stresses that the battle against hunger must go beyond policy and be grounded in collective, community-driven solutions.

"Look at Barangay Holy Spirit in Quezon City, a decades-old gulayan sa barangay has sustained families with fresh produce, livelihood, and eco-products made from recycled waste," she shared.

"These are small but powerful wins, grounded in care and local resilience," she added.

With this, Legarda emphasized the urgency of fully implementing laws that critically impact agriculture and food security, including those she authored and sponsored, such as Agri-Agra Reform Credit Act (RA 10000) - ensures credit access for farmers and agrarian reform beneficiaries; Organic Agriculture Act (RA 10068) - promotes sustainable, chemical-free farming practices; and the Food and Drug Administration Act (RA 9711) - strengthens food safety and consumer protection.

Legarda emphasized that these laws must be supported by grassroots initiatives that empower families and communities to actively contribute to building resilient food systems.

This includes programs like Gulayan sa Paaralan, edible landscaping, community composting, and collaborations with organizations such as Rural Rising Philippines (RuRi).