The interagency IPC analyst group conducted the third and fourth rounds of the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) chronic food security analysis workshops on 20-24 March and 3-7 April 2017, respectively to determine the level of chronic food insecurity in the remaining 38 provinces from Luzon and Visayas. The analysis covered the provinces of La Union (Region 1); Quirino (Region 2); Aurora, Bulacan, Nueva Ecija, Pampanga, Tarlac and Zambales (Region 3), Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, and Rizal (4A), Oriental Mindoro, Occidental Mindoro, Marinduque, Romblon and Palawan (MIMAROPA); Ifugao, Kalinga and Mountain Province (CAR); Albay, Camarines Sur, Catanduanes and Sorsogon (Region 5); Aklan, Capiz, Guimaras, Iloilo and Negros Occidental (Region 6); Bohol, Cebu, Negros Oriental And Siquijor (Region 7); and Leyte, Northern Samar, Samar and Southern Leyte (Region 8). 

Around 60% of the total population is chronically food insecure, of which 15% moderately food insecure and 7% severely food insecure. Population of moderately and severely food insecure account for nearly 12 million people. The 38 provinces have been classified into four levels.

 A total of 75 analysts participated in the workshop representing Department of Agriculture (Planning and Monitoring Services, Regions III, IV-MIMAROPA, V, VI, VIII), Department of Science and Technology – Food and Nutrition Research Institute, Department of Social Welfare and Development, Department of Health - National Nutrition Council (Nutrition Surveillance Division, Nutrition Policy and Planning Division, Regions I, II, III, IV-CALABARZON, IV-MIMAROPA, V, VI, VII, VIII, CAR, Provincial Department of Health in Catanduanes), National Economic and Development Authority (Social Development Staff, Regions III, IV-CALABARZON, IV-MIMAROPA, VI, VII, VIII), Philippine Statistics Authority, Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration, University of the Philippines Los Baños (Interdisciplinary Studies Center on Food and Nutrition Security, College of Agriculture, College of Economics and Management, College of Human Ecology, Institute of Human Nutrition and Food), and International non-government organizations (Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, UN World Food Programme, Action Against Hunger, World Vision International). 

To date, 71 provinces of the country have been classified and mapped into 4 levels using IPC:

The first round of chronic food security analysis workshop was done in January 2015 and covered 18 Mindanao provinces.  The second round of analysis conducted in February 2016 covered 10 remaining provinces from Mindanao and 5 selected provinces from Luzon. 

Of the 42 IPC member countries globally, the Philippines is one of those countries that is already in the consolidation stage in the IPC global projected implementation map of 2014-2018.  The consolidation stage means that majority of target areas in the country have been covered for IPC chronic analysis; technical capacity at the national and regional level have been professionalized; and preparation of country IPC-chronic map has been started.

Through the IPC, Philippines aims to promote multi-stakeholder partnership, government ownership and proper utilization of IPC processes in coming up with technical consensus on provincial classification and evidence-based local decision-making and response planning.  The Philippines IPC chronic report will be presented to the interagency NNC Technical Committee, national partners, regional nutrition committees, and regional social development councils.