Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic on Food Security in Selected Households of Mataasnakahoy, Batangas, Philippines

Food is regarded as a basic human requirement. However, the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted global healthcare and other aspects of human life, hence affecting food security. There has been progress in reducing global food insecurity, but significant challenges remain. The standard approach of defining food security as "access to food" ignores two essential dimensions: availability and usage. Since global food availability has risen in recent years, it is no longer a significant concern. Due to home quarantine orders and unemployment, the COVID-19 pandemic can drastically disrupt household food security. This study examines how the COVID-19 pandemic affected food access and availability in Mataasnakahoy, Batangas. The demographics and food security before and during the COVID-19 pandemic were also investigated in this study. The study's research approach was cross-sectional with 385 randomly selected households from Mataasnakahoy, Batangas. A modified questionnaire was statistically treated using frequency, percentage, mean, standard deviation, and the paired t-test. The study revealed a neutral level of food security before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. Furthermore, the selected households of Mataasnakahoy, Batangas had significant differences in food security before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. The average availability of food was lower before the pandemic than during the pandemic. The pre-pandemic value is higher when comparing the average food supply before and after the pandemic.