ERESE, MARIZ GAMBICAN, EZRA NAVARRO, ANTONETTE

TADIFA, ALLORY ULATAN, SAM CHRISTOPHER ABPS 2A (PS 118)

FINDINGS AND CONCLUSIONS
Definition of hunger:
Hunger is defined by male respondents as an effect of food shortage and lack of supply
that goes around the society. It is when people start to scavenge food or find ways to
remedy their rumbling and empty stomach caused by lack of eating. Hunger is a general
term for needs and wants or consumption of individuals in the society to satisfy their
appetite which can often be a drive for an action or destruction due to impulsivity. It is
brought about by a lack of consumption of nutrients needed by the body for daily
activities.

On the other hand, the female respondents defined hunger as an event experienced
when an individual do not eat three times a day, or has an imbalanced and improper
meal. They have also described it as feeling of weakness and discomfort or a response
of the body in telling us when it lacks food or needs food intake.

Respondents belonging to the LGBT Community defined hunger as a growing appetite

and desire for knowledge and attention. Hunger is not necessarily experienced through
a rumbling stomach as it also includes emotional aspects like the needs of one’s soul or
a strong desire for success.

Overall, hunger is can be associated with physiological and emotional feelings, and
physical needs.

Based on the responses of the interviewees, it is safe to conclude that the definition of
hunger is the same regardless of gender. Hunger is a global issue especially during this
pandemic and it can affect anyone regardless of their gender, since many people lost
their jobs or was stuck at home and could not go to work. (Help po paexpound? Or
ganyan na ba?)
ERESE, MARIZ GAMBICAN, EZRA NAVARRO, ANTONETTE

TADIFA, ALLORY ULATAN, SAM CHRISTOPHER ABPS 2A (PS 118)

How hunger was experienced.
Men who have experienced hunger during the COVID-19 Pandemic described their
experience as the new normal. They experience food shortage almost every week
which had caused them to be irritable and disoriented because they needed to come up
with solutions to alleviate their family’s hunger. Experiencing hunger caused them to
feel weak which drastically affected their productivity as it caused a feeling of
discomfort. Some stated that hunger is often associated with poverty, and because of
their poor economic income, they are forced to eat only once a day. On the emotional
aspect, they stressed that men are not only driven by “sexual appetitive desires” as they
also experience hunger for attention of their loved ones, and for personal improvement.

Female respondents, on the other hand, experienced hunger but only on a short
period of time. They also experienced shifting moods. (ilalagay ko pa ba to? Or
tanggalin ko nalang tong FEMALE part?)

LGBTQ respondents said that they have experienced hunger for prosperity and
development in the country, especially during this pandemic. As the virus affected a lot
of sectors in the society, they have emphasized the importance of prioritizing socio-
economic issues to lessen incidences of hunger, poverty, health problems, and
decreasing economic growth.

Incidences of hunger in the society caused men to work harder (double or triple.) The
burden of sustaining the needs of the family falls on the shoulders’ of men as they are
expected by the society to work and provide for their families. Thus, such events create
a greater pressure for men to meet the gender norms of the society.
ERESE, MARIZ GAMBICAN, EZRA NAVARRO, ANTONETTE

TADIFA, ALLORY ULATAN, SAM CHRISTOPHER ABPS 2A (PS 118)

How hunger affected the interviewees' perception of their gender orientation:

Hunger immensely affected the interviewee’s perception in many ways. Male
respondents felt disheartened for they were not able to provide the needs of their family.
Even working twice as hard is not enough given that there is a lockdown and lack of
work opportunities in the Philippines this pandemic. A respondent likened himself to a
cripple who lacked the capacity to sustain the needs of his family. Some male
interviewee stated that hunger affected their perspective as it reminded them that
everyone is vulnerable, and man cannot sustain oneself by himself. They have stressed
to give due respect to everyone regardless of gender as they are suffering the same
cause, and ask for help when needed.

Women claimed that experiences of hunger did not affect their perception of their
gender. They can still do chores and perform well to provide for their family even with
cases of hunger. This is because the ability of women to feed their families is often the
basis of their sense of self. Some interviewee also stressed that the reason for one’s
hunger does not result from one’s femininity but more on the socio-economic conditions
of an individual.

As stated in previous readings, the traditional patriarchal norm still exists in the
Philippine setting which imposes heavy expectations on men to be the breadwinner of
the family. In order for men to lead the household, they are expected first to provide the
needs of every member in the family. Aside from the societal pressure, men expects it
from themselves (as they are the man and head of the household) to be able to create
solutions that their family are experiencing both economically and socially – like
problems with income and incidents of hunger. Women, on the other hand, are
expected to perform and deliver household chores and domestic support for the family.
This is because they are compelled by the society and discriminatory norms to multi-
task and perform various things even under pressure. (Thoughts? Edit?)
ERESE, MARIZ GAMBICAN, EZRA NAVARRO, ANTONETTE

TADIFA, ALLORY ULATAN, SAM CHRISTOPHER ABPS 2A (PS 118)

Coping Mechanism:
The male respondents were able to cope with hunger through keeping themselves
preoccupied by playing games, watching Youtube videos, doing chores, and finding
new hobbies. Doing so kept them entertained to somehow not feel the burden caused
by the pandemic. Some opted to change their diet and resorted to processed food as
they are cheaper in the market, and brought fruit and vegetables from the Gulayan sa
Barangay. These helped them save money and allowing them to buy other necessities
like medicines. The correct use of alternative resources, budgeting, and rationing
guarantees future essentials.

Male respondents also stated that they also experience spiritual hunger and to cope up
with these they practice meditation, it is their “food for the soul”.

LGBTQ interviewees coped with hunger by helping other people in the society. They
have acknowledge that they can only do so much, but the little things that they continue
to do helps people in easing their suffering from such incidents.

Similar to men, women would also find ways to distract themselves. If food is not readily
available, they would divert their attention to a more productive or entertaining activity.
Or simply go to the kitchen and use what is available for cooking. Some tend to go to
their neighbors and ask for help or for vegetables. They explored different alternatives
to gather resources needed to prepare food for their families and ways to lessen
financial burden brought by the price increase of food in the market. It is noteworthy to
include their responses stating that as a woman and a mother, they are full when their
children are eating enough.

Men, women and LGBTQ interviewees shared common perception that whenever they
were hungry, they can easily find ways to find food or to divert their attention when food
is not available. However, unlike men, women’s coping mechanism with hunger
commonly involved responsibility.

As mentioned in the material, this behaviour was established from the ‘basis of
women’s sense of self’ or the women’s ability to feed their families when the need
arises. It is when women take over the right to feed their families. When the father and
other men breadwinners of the family, could not provide the sufficient needs of the
family, women took initiatives in helping or taking over of the responsibility.

For mothers who are normally responsible for providing food for their families, the
experience of being unable to feed their children is tantamount to torture. Thus, during
lockdown up to the present, numerous online sellers which were mostly mothers and
young women entrepreneurs, post their homemade products as way to explore other
alternatives to generate income. Since most of the men employees were affected by the
stoppage of works, women explore alternatives to lessen the financial burden as coping
mechanism.
ERESE, MARIZ GAMBICAN, EZRA NAVARRO, ANTONETTE

TADIFA, ALLORY ULATAN, SAM CHRISTOPHER ABPS 2A (PS 118)

ERESE, MARIZ GAMBICAN, EZRA NAVARRO, ANTONETTE

TADIFA, ALLORY ULATAN, SAM CHRISTOPHER ABPS 2A (PS 118)

Perspectives of interviewees who did not experience hunger:
Interviewees who did not experience hunger relate to the sentiments of those who are
suffering from such events. Men felt worried, anxious, and fearful of what could happen
to their families as anyone can be in the brink of hunger anytime. It poses a threat to
their family and it makes them want to work harder to ensure that their household will
not go through such experience.

Women recognize fellow women’s adaptability and flexibility in dealing with hunger this
pandemic. However, with these realizations, they are also pressured to continually
adapt and perform unrealistic expectations. Women who did not experience hunger
emphasizes that they did not experience it because of the condition where they belong,
some of them saved resources and belong to a well-off family. The pre-position that
women are subordinate to men is not present in the conducted interviews. Women
proved that they can survive without the help of men. Structural oppression theories
suggest that women's oppression and inequality are a result of capitalism, patriarchy,
and racism but in the conducted interviews, its seems that women enjoys more stable
condition and most of them did not experience hunger.

Gender Analysis and theories…. (to be included)

ERESE, MARIZ GAMBICAN, EZRA NAVARRO, ANTONETTE

TADIFA, ALLORY ULATAN, SAM CHRISTOPHER ABPS 2A (PS 118)

Conclusions:
Overall, the interviewees share the same sentiments that one’s gender is not something
to be blamed upon for hunger. Gender is not the cause of hunger, but hunger is a
manifestation of gender inequality in the society – especially when we take into account
the patriarchal and traditional gender norms / practices we have.

Hunger has different effects to individuals with different genders. And our group
believes that hunger is a gendered issue. Access to food, water, and other services are
tilted first towards men, then the children, and then the mother is always the last to eat.
That tradition is evident in the Philippine setting as most women make sure other
members of the family especially the head of the household eats first before they do.

The norm for women to eat last and least (in order to ensure other family members are
full) constitutes to a discriminatory practice that fosters further gender gap and
inequality in the most basic unit of the society.

Another is that gender inequality is manifested in terms of lower pay and work
opportunities. This pandemic, women are expected to stay only at home and do
domestic work while men stay employed to sustain their needs which often lead to
preventing women from getting enough means to access food.

(More??)