MANILA (2ND UPDATE) - A bike rally and an Agroecology Fair were organized in Quezon City for the commemoration Sunday of World Food Day.

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But the organizer, the youth peasant advocacy group National Network of Agrarian Reform Advocates (NNARA)-Youth, says "World Hunger Day" is the appropriate label amid what they view as a food crisis in the country.

"The country, under President and concurrent agriculture secretary Ferdinand Marcos Jr., is celebrating the World Food Day today in line with United Nations. Peasant organizations and food security advocates rightly mark this day as World Hunger Day to drum up the ironic reality that our food producers experience the worst poverty and food insecurity in our country,” Zoe Caballero, NNARA-Youth National Chairperson, said in a statement.

World Hunger Day is traditionally held every May 28th.

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The group organized the "Padyak Kontra Kagutuman", which was held from Commonwealth Avenue to UP Diliman.

Bikers from various organizations took part in the activity and made known their calls for the Marcos Jr. administration to address the food crisis.

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In UP Diliman, the Agroecology Fair was set up to drum up the call to support local food production and enact a genuine agrarian reform program to resolve what organizers say as the chronic food and agriculture crises in the country.

“As peasant advocates, we strongly demand the Marcos administration to genuinely support our local farmers and strengthen local production by implementing a genuine land reform program, which at its core will implement free land distribution,” Caballero said.

“As long as Marcos Jr. continues his leisurely lifestyle while neglecting the demands of farmers for land and production subsidy, hunger will continue to escalate."

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Booths of various farmers and advocacy organizations showcasing their organic produce and technology were set up at the fair, which will be held the entire day.

Farmers from Alyansa ng Magbubukid sa Bulacan brought vegetables and fruits grown from collective farming.

The products on sale include bananas, sweet potatoes, and vegetables.

According to Maribel Aniban, one of the farmers, the rising price of goods and series of typhoons had a big impact on their crops.

‘Mahal na po mga bilihin. Pati tong mga paninda namin, hindi na mabili. Tapos nasira pa ng mga bagyo yung pananim po namin,’ Aniban said.

Another farmer, Josephine Laurente, said they have stopped using the plowing machine.

‘Hindi na po kami nag-de gasolina. Mano-mano na. Kami ang naggagambol ng lupa. Single parent din ako, hindi rin ako nagtatanim nang hindi ko kaya,’ she said.

The campaign “Kanin, isda, at iba pang likha ng bansa, idepensa!” was relaunched during the event, featuring discussions from peasant leaders, academics, and youth sector.

Farmers leaders from different regions shared their plights and demands.

NNRA-Youth appealed to the government to focus on programs that will support farmers.

Melo Cabello, the group’s spokesperson, said that if prices of basic commodities will continue to spike, hunger will always be the baseline of different problems in the country.

“Ipatupad sana yung totoong reporma sa lupa na ang core principle ay libreng pamamahagi ng lupa sa ating magsasaka. Hindi makatarungan na ipagdiwang ang araw ng pagkain dahil sa Pilipinas, matindi ang krisis sa pagkain,” he said.

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Various bands and indie artists are also set to perform at the day-long activity.

As an alternative to the existing policy framework in food and agriculture, the Agroecology X network is forwarding a comprehensive 8-point “food system agenda,” for which they are gathering online signatures in a petition.

The agenda has the following points:

1. Stop the liberalization and foreign domination on food
2. Implement genuine land reform
3. Achieve just prices and wages
4. Strengthen Filipino agriculture and develop rural and national industries
5. Fund Filipino food
6. Ensure sufficient and immediate support in times of calamity
7. Promote farmer-led research and development
8. Advance the people’s democratic rights

World Food Day is an occasion celebrated by the United Nations every Oct. 16th of the year.

Almost one in 10 people globally are undernourished, and more than 3 billion cannot afford a healthy diet, based on the study conducted by the Food and Agriculture Organization.

- with reports from Larize Lee and Reiniel Pawid, ABS-CBN News

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