Manila, May 30 -- Senator Loren Legarda renewed her urgent call to address hunger in the Philippines, anchored on empathy, sustainability and the strength of local communities.

"Imagine families having to sleep through hunger simply because they have no choice. Food is a right, not a privilege," Legarda said, as quoted in a news release on Friday.

Despite the country's agricultural abundance, hunger continues to afflict millions.

A recent Social Weather Stations survey showed that one in four Filipino families, or about 7.5 million households, experienced involuntary hunger in the past three months, the highest recorded since the start of the pandemic.

Meanwhile, the Global Hunger Index categorizes the Philippines' hunger level as "mo...