No one should have to go hungry

It is the poor who always suffer the most

It is disappointing to learn that the government has failed to meet its target of public food distribution for the previous fiscal year, distributing about 2.18 million tons of food against the target of 3.14 million, which was only about 70% of the targeted amount.

This is particularly upsetting, as this has been a pandemic year, and never has public food distribution been more important; the numerous lockdowns and other pandemic-related obstacles have essentially robbed countless livelihood opportunities from those lower on the socioeconomic ladder. With income opportunities reduced and economic hardships increased, the poor -- and the newly poor created as a result of the pandemic -- depended even more on public food distribution.

While a lack of administrative efforts, the pandemic, and a shortage of food reserves in public granaries were said to be the principal reasons for such a drop, in reality there is little to no justification.