SENATOR Win Gatchalian proposes the implementation of a universal meal program to curb the problems faced by the youth when it comes to nutrition, including stunting, wasting, and undernutrition.
“My dream is that like other countries, we will have a universal meal program that will ensure that every student has enough and nutritious food. It will require a lot of funds, but we will not stop making a way,” said Gatchalian, Chairperson of Senate Committee on Basic Education.
According to the Department of Science and Technology-Food and Nutrition Research Institute’s (DOST-FNRI) data for the year 2021, approximately 2.7 million or 20% of children 5 to 10 years old are stunted or lack height for their age, about 2.8 million or 21% are underweight, and 1 million or 7% are wasted or light for their weight.
Under the school-based feeding program (SBFP) fund for this school year, it will take 220 days or the entire school year to implement the program. In recent years, the coverage of this program only reaches 120 days. From the P5 billion fund, the SBFP fund under the National Expenditure Program (NEP) for the year 2024 went up to P11 billion, equivalent to a 105% increase in the program fund. The Department of Education (DepEd) intends to reach 1.6 million beneficiaries from Kindergarten to Grade 6 for the next year.
According to DepEd Assistant Secretary for Field Operations Francis Cesar Bringas, the department’s study showed that the beneficiaries of the program are the same every year. Because students return to the previous state of their nutrition if they only receive school meals for 120 days. The official added, these students also return to being malnourished when they return from the two-month vacation.
“We know that children who are hungry will not learn. Most of these issues should be addressed at a young age, especially when it is difficult to address them when they enter Kindergarten or primary schools. But we still need to do it so as not to cause more damage their health and bodies,” said Gatchalian.
DepEd also intends to extend the implementation day of the Milk Feeding Program Component of the SBFP from 47 to 55.
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