Thesis (BS Agribusiness Economics) -- University of the Philippines Mindanao, July 2022

The Philippines implemented a social protection program (SAP) in response to the economic pressures carried by the COVID-19 pandemic. Under the Bayanihan Heal as One Act legislation, the SAP distributed cash aids and food packs to the vulnerable sector. The researcher identified a rural area, Maragusan, Davao de Oro, to analyze the food consumption of SAP and non-SAP beneficiaries as food markets were disrupted, consequently troubling the food access during the pandemic. A 24-hour dietary recall for a period of 3 days was done to collect information on food consumed by the respondents, while Mann-Whitney U test statistics and chi-square test were employed to identify the significant distinctions in the food consumption between SAP and non-SAP beneficiaries and rural and urban adults in Maragusan, Davao de Oro as well as their challenges to food access and preferred shopping mode. Results showed that non-SAP beneficiaries and adults from urban barangays generally have a higher consumption of food groups meta/poultry/fish products, fruits, cereals, grains, and root crops, than their counterparts. However, both SAP and non-SAP beneficiaries did not reach the minimum daily requirement for fruits and vegetables as stated by the World Health Organization and meat/poultry/fish products of the Food and National Research Institute. The same tenor can be observed in the consumption of adults from rural and urban barangays where they did not reach the suggested daily minimum requirement for food groups vegetables, fruits, eggs, and milk products. Moreover, the respondents faced challenges to food access due to lost earnings and price hikes, subsequently affecting their dietary choices. Additionally, the observed data corroborate that all respondents opt to acquire food from physical stores. Hence, the Local Government Unit of the municipality of Maragusan is advised to strengthen its campaigns in encouraging residents to consume fruits and vegetables and boost the ingestion of meat/poultry/fish products to meet the suggested daily minimum intake of these food groups of the World Health Organization and Food and National Research Institute.