Lawmakers to pass measure expanding nutrition program

Lawmakers have finalized the provisions of the proposed National Children’s Nutrition Act, which will establish an expanded National Children’s Nutrition Program that aims to address stunting among Filipino children.

In a statement on Friday, the Second Congressional Commission on Education (Edcom 2) said the new measure approved this month by the bicameral conference committee will repeal an earlier law, Republic Act No. 11037, as it seeks to establish a more comprehensive nutrition program that “adopts a life-stage approach to addressing malnutrition.”

READ: DepEd invests record P25.6B to feed 4.6M learners

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Under the proposed law, the Department of Social Welfare and Development and the local government units will be tasked with conducting a supplemental feeding program for children aged 2 to under 5 years old, including learners in daycare centers, supervised neighborhood play, and community and home-based programs.

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The Department of Education (DepEd) will be in charge of providing school-based feeding—among public school students from kindergarten to Grade 3 regardless of their nutritional status—and targeted feeding among undernourished learners from Grades 4 to 6.

‘Different feeding programs’

Edcom 2 said the proposed measure will also expand the coverage of the feeding program to include pregnant adolescent learners, who will receive “fortified meals and additional micronutrient supplementation, including iron, folic acid, calcium and multiple micronutrients as needed.”

DepEd may also expand the program to cover undernourished or vulnerable students, including those who are members of Indigenous Peoples groups and those from schools covered by the government’s voucher program.

Sen. Bam Aquino, Edcom 2 cochair, said, “We wanted to be specific about who is responsible at every stage of a child’s life. By identifying the different feeding programs, we make clear that at every stage, there should be a program supporting the child and an agency responsible for delivering that support.”

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According to Edcom 2, stunting affects one in four Filipino children, while only a quarter of children under 5 years old are able to meet the recommended energy intake.

It said, “Stunting, which commonly results from chronic undernutrition during the first 1,000 days [of life], is associated with poorer educational outcomes and can cause irreversible damage to cognitive development.”

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‘Nutritional needs’

Also to be implemented under the proposed measure are a “regular growth and nutrition monitoring, micronutrient supplementation, a supplementary milk program and nutrition education.”

Funds for meals will be adjusted annually based on inflation, as well as on the recommendations of the National Nutrition Council of the Department of Health (DOH) and the Department of Science and Technology’s Food and Nutrition Research Institute.

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Pasig Rep. Roman Romulo, also Edcom 2 co-chair, said, “We need to ensure that the budget allocated for feeding translates into meals that meet the nutritional needs of children. Once maintenance and operating expenses are deducted, the amount left for food may not be enough to provide an adequate meal.” INQ