First Round SAP Post Distribution Monitoring Report: Economic and Food Security Implications of the COVID-19 Pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic has brought significant impact on the country’s economic, healthcare, livelihood, education and food security systems. The lockdown imposed by the government to help curb the spread of the disease has resulted to an economic recession. The growing numbers of people getting sick because of the virus has exacted additional burden to an already weak public health system. With the standstill in economic activities, the proportion of the unemployed has doubled. Latest statistics from the government put the rate of unemployment at 17.7 percent. And since the impact of the pandemic is felt worldwide, employment of overseas Filipino workers who have traditionally been the source of remittances or extra lifeline for many households in the country is expected to be disrupted. Official data shows that cash remittance in the first five months of the year decreased by 6.4 percent compared to the same period last year. At present, the start of the school season has been postponed twice. But more than that, the main concern is that with the inefficient telecommunication infrastructure in many parts of the country, the focus on online education is expected to widen the digital divide in the country. And lastly, food security situation has deteriorated since the start of the quarantine. The results of the latest Social Weather Stations survey showed that involuntary hunger among Filipino families stands at 20.9 percent compared to 8.8 percent in the last quarter of 2019.
This report contains the results of the assessment jointly undertaken by the Department of Social Welfare and Development, Ministry of Social Services and Development of the regional government of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao and the World Food Programme. The project aims to assess the food security and essential needs situation of the affected population and monitor the implementation of the government’s Social Amelioration Programme (SAP). The assessment covered a wide range of topics from livelihood, income, expenditures, debt, remittances, food consumption, coping strategies, health, WaSH, living conditions, well-being and the implementation of the SAP. Vulnerability analysis was done to identify the vulnerable populations who are highly susceptible to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. The results of the analysis are expected to provide vital information to programme managers so they can design and implement the most appropriate interventions in response to the pandemic. social protection monitoring systems
For more information, please contact:
Juanito G. Berja Jr. juanito.berja@wfp.org
DSWD Research and Evaluation Division pdpb_red@dswd.gov.ph