This study sought to examine the food security status and the food vulnerability during extreme events of selected households from vulnerable areas of Sta. Cruz Subwatershed, Laguna. Using a dynamic and forward-looking approach to the analysis, the study used coping strategies against food shortage as a proxy indicator of food security and retrospective information and perceptions of households related to food vulnerability as an index measure for food vulnerability during an extreme event. Factors affecting food security and food vulnerability were also analyzed using binary logit models. Key findings of the study revealed that the household-respondents were generally still in the tolerable state of food insecurity. However, when faced with climatic stress like an extreme event, the food security status of households could possibly worsen as it appeared that majority of households are more likely to fall or stay below food security threshold when affected by an extreme event. Based on these findings, the study recommended the following strategic actions: (i) strengthening of public distribution systems that offer a wide variety of cheaper food substitutes like secondary crops; (ii) improvement of existing food assistance programs; (iii) promotion of sustainable home gardening of food plants like fruits and vegetables and indigenous crops, coupled with technical trainings on agricultural practices; (iv) household agricultural production diversification; (v) improving early warning system in the barangay and municipality; and (vi) continuing education on the effective coping strategies to manage the impacts of disasters. In putting into action these recommendations, special attention should be given to the households living in barangays with high elevation and net food buyers as they were found to be more likely to be less food secure and more vulnerable to food insecurity when confronted by extreme events.
