Key data for Philippines

NCI13th HRCI10th HANCI6th
HANCI compares 45 countries for their performance on 22 indicators of political commitment to reduce hunger and undernutrition. All the countries compared in the index have high rates of hunger and undernutrition. The comparative approach of the index means that country scores are calculated in relation to the political commitment of the other countries in the index.
Existing rates of: Stunting: 30.3% Wasting: 5.6% Proportion of population underweight: 5.6% Source: Government of Philippines (NNS,2018)

Strong Performance

  • The Government of Philippines has ensured tenure security for rural populations. Land titling is common and land markets function well. Policy promotes equitable access to common property resources.
  • The National Nutrition Policy/Strategy identifies time bound nutrition targets and a multisectoral and multistakeholder policy coordination mechanism has been set up.
  • Policymakers in Philippines benefit from regular nutrition surveys that are statistically representative at national level. The last survey was published in 2017.
  • The Government has fully enshrined the International Code of Marketing of Breastmilk Substitutes into domestic law.
  • The Government of Philippines promotes complementary feeding practices.
  • 95.4% of the population of Philippines in 2017 has access to an improved drinking water source.
  • In Philippines 93.8% of women aged 15-49 were visited at least once during pregnancy by skilled health personnel in 2017.
  • In Philippines, constitutional protection of the right to food and the right to social security is strong.
  • Strong civil registration rates (91.8% in 2017) potentially enable children’s access to critical public services such as health and education.

Areas for improvement

  • In Philippines, the law does not give women legal access to agricultural land equal to men. Men and women have equal economic rights, but this is not effectively enforced and discriminatory practices against women continue, increasing their vulnerability to hunger and undernutrition.
  • The Government of Philippines has achieved two high doses of vitamin A supplementation for only 68% of children in 2016.

Hunger Reduction Commitment Index (HRCI)

Public Spending Score Year HRCI rank of 45
Public spending on agriculture as share of total public spending
?
4.3%201625th
Public spending on health as share of total public spending
?
7.1%201719th
Policies Score Year HRCI rank of 45
Access to land (security of tenure)
?
Strong2016Joint 11th
Access to agricultural research and extension services
?
Moderate201325th
Civil registration system — coverage of live births
?
91.8%20176th
Functioning of social protection systems
?
Moderate2018Joint 6th
Laws Score Year HRCI rank of 45
Level of constitutional protection of the right to food
?
Strong2017Joint 1st
Equality of women’s access to agricultural land
?
Not in Law2019Joint 40th
Equality of women’s economic rights
?
In Law, not in Practice201911th
Constitutional right to social security
?
Yes2002Joint 1st

Nutrition Commitment Index (NCI)

Public Spending Score Year NCI rank of 45
Separate budget for nutrition
?
Sectoral only2019Joint 24th
Policies Score Year NCI rank of 45
Vitamin A supplementation coverage for children
?
68%201623rd
Government promotes complementary feeding
?
Yes2015Joint 1st
Population with access to an improved water source
?
95.4%20174th
Population with access to improved sanitation
?
76.5%20174th
Health care visits for pregnant women
?
93.8%201719th
Nutrition features in national development policy
?
Moderate2017-202229th
National Nutrition Policy/Strategy
?
Yes2019Joint 1st
Multisector and multistakeholder policy coordination
?
Yes2019Joint 1st
Time bound nutrition targets
?
Yes2019Joint 1st
National nutrition survey in last 3 years
?
Yes2017Joint 1st
Laws Score Year NCI rank of 45
Enshrine ICBMS in domestic law
?
Fully Enshrined2019Joint 1st