the lockdown at at 17.7%.6 Still, this is very much higher compared to the April 2019 unemployment rate at 5.1%.7 In numbers, 33.8 million Filipinos were employed in April of 2020 compared to 41.8 million employed in 2019. Self report survey from SWS also show that 47.88% of women reported losing their jobs. With constant repatriation, the number of women migrant workers has also decreased from 1.9M in 2020 to 1.23M in 2021.8 This continuing unemployment maintained by continuing state of lockdown and crisis brought about by new virus variants translated to more hunger and poverty incidence, especially among the already vulnerable and marginalized. Economists see unemployment staying elevated and more people remaining below the poverty line until 2022, as the pandemic leaves scars on the economy.9 Food insecurity and hunger has worsened. With government aid in the form of the Social Amelioration Program largely concentrated during the first few months of the crisis, support during subsequent lockdowns have been wanting. SWS survey the end of 2020 support this, with 15.86% of women reporting hunger - almost doubling the percentage of 8.8 % in December of 2019.10 In another survey from April 28 to May 2, SWS found that 16.8% of Filipino families experienced ‘involuntary hunger’ or hunger due to lack of food at least once in the past three months. SWS also stated that some 4.2 million families experienced hunger in May as the pandemic dragged on.11 In another report Accounts of women’s organizations including women in the marginalized sectors during webinars and during sectoral monitoring by the Commission further lend accounts to support this. During the Purple Action Day Webinar12, a representative from Lilak Purple Action for Indigenous Women’s Rights13 highlighted heightened levels of food insecurity due to the pandemic. Lilak shared how indigenous women suffered hunger due to the pandemic and the resulting loss of employment. This was echoed by a representative of Amihan who shared how farmers bewailed the high cost of food, how this severely impacted farmers who, while food producers, are also consumers.They also complained how continued land conversion by developers even during the pandemic further contribute to hunger and food insecurity.14 Women with disabilities were also not spared, a woman with disability leader from Mindanao 6 PSA. Employment Situation in April 2020. https://www.google.com/url?sa=D&q=https://psa.gov.ph/content/employmentsituation-april-2020&ust=1630513380000000&usg=AOvVaw0AN_ppxC4-d6pe6mMyM_lD&hl=en; Unemployment rate in April 2021 estimated at 8.17% https://www.google.com/url?sa=D&q=https://psa.gov.ph/content/unemployment-rate-april-2021estimated-87-percent&ust=1630513380000000&usg=AOvVaw1o4Q_3AXsnjEkBeBGC7heP&hl=en (accessed 31 August 2021); 7 Ibid 8 PSA. PSA Issues Updates on Women and Men in the Philippines. https://www.google.com/url?sa=D&q=https://psa.gov.ph/genderstat&ust=1630513380000000&usg=AOvVaw3nSvfGw4NJ5_m7Vvd_xNfi&hl=en (accessed 31 August 2021) 9 Rivas, R. Pandemic scars: More Filipinos to remain poor, unemployed even by 2022. Rappler. 4 February 2021. https://www.rappler.com/business/more-poor-unemployed-filipinos-even-by-2022 (accessed 31 August 2021) 10 SWS.Fourth Quarter of 2020 Social Weather Survey. https://www.sws.org.ph/downloads/media_release/pr20201214%20%20SWR%202020-IV%20Self-Rated%20Poverty%20and%20Self-Rated%20Food%20Poverty%20(media%20release).pdf (accessed last 28 August 2021) 11 Rivas, R. 4.2. Million Filipino families stay hungry in May 2021- SWS. Rappler. 13 July 2021. https://www.rappler.com/nation/millions-filipino-families-stay-hungry-sws-survey-may-2021 (accessed 31 August 2021) 12 Purple Action Day is the annual kick off for Women’s Month hosted annually by the Commission in partnership with Sarilaya. The Purple Action Day webinar may be viewed here: 13 Kat Magtoto, Lilak Purple Action for Indigenous Women’s Rights 14 Catherine Estavaillo, Amihan 3