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Over 4 Million Philippine Families Went Hungry During Lockdowns

  • TOPSHOT - This photo taken on March 18, 2020 shows a general view of a slum area along the river in Manila. - Asian nations have imposed increasingly heavy measures to fight the outbreak of the COVID-19 coronavirus, the Philippines has ordered half its population of some 110 million to stay home. (Photo by Maria TAN / AFP) / TO GO WITH Health-virus-Philippines-poverty,FOCUS by Joshua Melvin and Ron Lopez (Photo by MARIA TAN/AFP via Getty Images)
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    TOPSHOT-PHILIPPINES-HEALTH-VIRUS

    TOPSHOT - This photo taken on March 18, 2020 shows a general view of a slum area along the river in Manila. - Asian nations have imposed increasingly heavy measures to fight the outbreak of the COVID-19 coronavirus, the Philippines has ordered half its population of some 110 million to stay home. (Photo by Maria TAN / AFP) / TO GO WITH Health-virus-Philippines-poverty,FOCUS by Joshua Melvin and Ron Lopez (Photo by MARIA TAN/AFP via Getty Images)
    MARIA TAN via Getty Images
  • This photo taken on March 18, 2020 shows a child walking along a muddy path near his home in Manila. - Asian nations have imposed increasingly heavy measures to fight the outbreak of the COVID-19 coronavirus, the Philippines has ordered half its population of some 110 million to stay home. (Photo by Maria TAN / AFP) / TO GO WITH Health-virus-Philippines-poverty,FOCUS by Joshua Melvin and Ron Lopez (Photo by MARIA TAN/AFP via Getty Images)
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    PHILIPPINES-HEALTH-VIRUS

    This photo taken on March 18, 2020 shows a child walking along a muddy path near his home in Manila. - Asian nations have imposed increasingly heavy measures to fight the outbreak of the COVID-19 coronavirus, the Philippines has ordered half its population of some 110 million to stay home. (Photo by Maria TAN / AFP) / TO GO WITH Health-virus-Philippines-poverty,FOCUS by Joshua Melvin and Ron Lopez (Photo by MARIA TAN/AFP via Getty Images)
    MARIA TAN via Getty Images
  • CALOOCAN, PHILIPPINES - APRIL 28 Homeless children whom Fr Pon saved in the streets earlier to be brought in a government shelter on April 28, 2020 in Caloocan, Philippines. Armed with a cross and a holy bible and clad in a makeshift hazmat suit and face shields, Fr Eduardo Pon Vasquez, a Roman Catholic priest for 17 years of the Oblates of Mary Immaculate, visits the poorer communities in Caloocan city to make sure marginalized residents and homeless are cared for during a government imposed lockdown to prevent the spread of the novel Coronavirus. Together with Fr Rey Emmanuelle Amancio, 31, they provide food, masks, and words of comfort to those in need in their community. If the people cannot come out to go to church at this very precarious times, the church should come to them, say Fr Pon. (Photo by Jes Aznar/Getty Images)
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    Filipino Priest Cares For The Poor Amid The Coronavirus Outbreak

    CALOOCAN, PHILIPPINES - APRIL 28 Homeless children whom Fr Pon saved in the streets earlier to be brought in a government shelter on April 28, 2020 in Caloocan, Philippines. Armed with a cross and a holy bible and clad in a makeshift hazmat suit and face shields, Fr Eduardo Pon Vasquez, a Roman Catholic priest for 17 years of the Oblates of Mary Immaculate, visits the poorer communities in Caloocan city to make sure marginalized residents and homeless are cared for during a government imposed lockdown to prevent the spread of the novel Coronavirus. Together with Fr Rey Emmanuelle Amancio, 31, they provide food, masks, and words of comfort to those in need in their community. If the people cannot come out to go to church at this very precarious times, the church should come to them, say Fr Pon. (Photo by Jes Aznar/Getty Images)
    Jes Aznar via Getty Images
  • This photo taken on March 18, 2020 shows a man wears a face mask as a preventive measure against the spread of the COVID-19 coronavirius in Manila. - Asian nations have imposed increasingly heavy measures to fight the outbreak of the COVID-19 coronavirus, the Philippines has ordered half its population of some 110 million to stay home. (Photo by Maria TAN / AFP) / TO GO WITH Health-virus-Philippines-poverty,FOCUS by Joshua Melvin and Ron Lopez (Photo by MARIA TAN/AFP via Getty Images)
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    PHILIPPINES-HEALTH-VIRUS

    This photo taken on March 18, 2020 shows a man wears a face mask as a preventive measure against the spread of the COVID-19 coronavirius in Manila. - Asian nations have imposed increasingly heavy measures to fight the outbreak of the COVID-19 coronavirus, the Philippines has ordered half its population of some 110 million to stay home. (Photo by Maria TAN / AFP) / TO GO WITH Health-virus-Philippines-poverty,FOCUS by Joshua Melvin and Ron Lopez (Photo by MARIA TAN/AFP via Getty Images)
    MARIA TAN via Getty Images
  • This photo taken on March 18, 2020 shows a woman checking her phone outside her home in Manila. - Asian nations have imposed increasingly heavy measures to fight the outbreak of the COVID-19 coronavirus, the Philippines has ordered half its population of some 110 million to stay home. (Photo by Maria TAN / AFP) / TO GO WITH Health-virus-Philippines-poverty,FOCUS by Joshua Melvin and Ron Lopez (Photo by MARIA TAN/AFP via Getty Images)
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    PHILIPPINES-HEALTH-VIRUS

    This photo taken on March 18, 2020 shows a woman checking her phone outside her home in Manila. - Asian nations have imposed increasingly heavy measures to fight the outbreak of the COVID-19 coronavirus, the Philippines has ordered half its population of some 110 million to stay home. (Photo by Maria TAN / AFP) / TO GO WITH Health-virus-Philippines-poverty,FOCUS by Joshua Melvin and Ron Lopez (Photo by MARIA TAN/AFP via Getty Images)
    MARIA TAN via Getty Images
  • This photo taken on March 18, 2020 shows a mother washing laundry outside her home along the river in Manila. - Asian nations have imposed increasingly heavy measures to fight the outbreak of the COVID-19 coronavirus, the Philippines has ordered half its population of some 110 million to stay home. (Photo by Maria TAN / AFP) / TO GO WITH Health-virus-Philippines-poverty,FOCUS by Joshua Melvin and Ron Lopez (Photo by MARIA TAN/AFP via Getty Images)
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    PHILIPPINES-HEALTH-VIRUS

    This photo taken on March 18, 2020 shows a mother washing laundry outside her home along the river in Manila. - Asian nations have imposed increasingly heavy measures to fight the outbreak of the COVID-19 coronavirus, the Philippines has ordered half its population of some 110 million to stay home. (Photo by Maria TAN / AFP) / TO GO WITH Health-virus-Philippines-poverty,FOCUS by Joshua Melvin and Ron Lopez (Photo by MARIA TAN/AFP via Getty Images)
    MARIA TAN via Getty Images
  • TOPSHOT - This photo taken on March 18, 2020 shows a mother washing her laundry outside her home along the river in Manila. - Asian nations have imposed increasingly heavy measures to fight the outbreak of the COVID-19 coronavirus, the Philippines has ordered half its population of some 110 million to stay home. (Photo by Maria TAN / AFP) / TO GO WITH Health-virus-Philippines-poverty,FOCUS by Joshua Melvin and Ron Lopez (Photo by MARIA TAN/AFP via Getty Images)
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    TOPSHOT-PHILIPPINES-HEALTH-VIRUS

    TOPSHOT - This photo taken on March 18, 2020 shows a mother washing her laundry outside her home along the river in Manila. - Asian nations have imposed increasingly heavy measures to fight the outbreak of the COVID-19 coronavirus, the Philippines has ordered half its population of some 110 million to stay home. (Photo by Maria TAN / AFP) / TO GO WITH Health-virus-Philippines-poverty,FOCUS by Joshua Melvin and Ron Lopez (Photo by MARIA TAN/AFP via Getty Images)
    MARIA TAN via Getty Images
TOPSHOT - This photo taken on March 18, 2020 shows a general view of a slum area along the river in Manila. - Asian nations have imposed increasingly heavy measures to fight the outbreak of the COVID-19 coronavirus, the Philippines has ordered half its population of some 110 million to stay home. (Photo by Maria TAN / AFP) / TO GO WITH Health-virus-Philippines-poverty,FOCUS by Joshua Melvin and Ron Lopez (Photo by MARIA TAN/AFP via Getty Images)
This photo taken on March 18, 2020 shows a child walking along a muddy path near his home in Manila. - Asian nations have imposed increasingly heavy measures to fight the outbreak of the COVID-19 coronavirus, the Philippines has ordered half its population of some 110 million to stay home. (Photo by Maria TAN / AFP) / TO GO WITH Health-virus-Philippines-poverty,FOCUS by Joshua Melvin and Ron Lopez (Photo by MARIA TAN/AFP via Getty Images)
CALOOCAN, PHILIPPINES - APRIL 28 Homeless children whom Fr Pon saved in the streets earlier to be brought in a government shelter on April 28, 2020 in Caloocan, Philippines. Armed with a cross and a holy bible and clad in a makeshift hazmat suit and face shields, Fr Eduardo Pon Vasquez, a Roman Catholic priest for 17 years of the Oblates of Mary Immaculate, visits the poorer communities in Caloocan city to make sure marginalized residents and homeless are cared for during a government imposed lockdown to prevent the spread of the novel Coronavirus. Together with Fr Rey Emmanuelle Amancio, 31, they provide food, masks, and words of comfort to those in need in their community. If the people cannot come out to go to church at this very precarious times, the church should come to them, say Fr Pon. (Photo by Jes Aznar/Getty Images)
This photo taken on March 18, 2020 shows a man wears a face mask as a preventive measure against the spread of the COVID-19 coronavirius in Manila. - Asian nations have imposed increasingly heavy measures to fight the outbreak of the COVID-19 coronavirus, the Philippines has ordered half its population of some 110 million to stay home. (Photo by Maria TAN / AFP) / TO GO WITH Health-virus-Philippines-poverty,FOCUS by Joshua Melvin and Ron Lopez (Photo by MARIA TAN/AFP via Getty Images)
This photo taken on March 18, 2020 shows a woman checking her phone outside her home in Manila. - Asian nations have imposed increasingly heavy measures to fight the outbreak of the COVID-19 coronavirus, the Philippines has ordered half its population of some 110 million to stay home. (Photo by Maria TAN / AFP) / TO GO WITH Health-virus-Philippines-poverty,FOCUS by Joshua Melvin and Ron Lopez (Photo by MARIA TAN/AFP via Getty Images)
This photo taken on March 18, 2020 shows a mother washing laundry outside her home along the river in Manila. - Asian nations have imposed increasingly heavy measures to fight the outbreak of the COVID-19 coronavirus, the Philippines has ordered half its population of some 110 million to stay home. (Photo by Maria TAN / AFP) / TO GO WITH Health-virus-Philippines-poverty,FOCUS by Joshua Melvin and Ron Lopez (Photo by MARIA TAN/AFP via Getty Images)
TOPSHOT - This photo taken on March 18, 2020 shows a mother washing her laundry outside her home along the river in Manila. - Asian nations have imposed increasingly heavy measures to fight the outbreak of the COVID-19 coronavirus, the Philippines has ordered half its population of some 110 million to stay home. (Photo by Maria TAN / AFP) / TO GO WITH Health-virus-Philippines-poverty,FOCUS by Joshua Melvin and Ron Lopez (Photo by MARIA TAN/AFP via Getty Images)
Bloomberg
·1-min read

By Andreo Calonzo

More than four million Philippine families went hungry over the past three months, doubling from December amid lockdowns to stem the coronavirus outbreak, according to a survey.

Nearly one in every five families said they lacked food, pollster Social Weather Stations said based on phone surveys of over 4,000 people earlier this month. Half of the families were in the main island of Luzon including the capital, which has been easing its lockdown imposed since mid-March.

Almost all these families said they got food aid from the government, the survey results showed. Some 205 billion pesos ($4 billion) was allocated by President Rodrigo Duterte’s administration for cash aid to 18 million low-income families.

© 2020 Bloomberg L.P.