In the Philippines, a bun revives myths and misery of a bygone Marcos era

A fortified bread known as nutribun – used to tackle hunger during Ferdinand Marcos Sr’s regime – has remerged in the Philippines, along with the controversy surrounding it. Photograph: Eloisa Lopez/Reuters

It is not only the family of the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos Sr making a comeback in the Philippines. A fortified bread known as nutribun, and the controversy surrounding it, has also reappeared.

This month, a version of the snack – which was previously given to schoolchildren to tackle hunger during Marcos Sr’s regime – was spotted being distributed in Consolacion, Cebu, in the Central Visayas region. Packets bore the name of Senator Imee Marcos, daughter of the late dictator, according to news reports.