Senator Bam Aquino is urging the government to allocate an additional P3 billion to combat child malnutrition, calling the proposed increase a “small price to pay” in comparison to the trillions of pesos allegedly lost to corruption.
During a Senate Blue Ribbon Committee hearing on Thursday, Aquino emphasized that the additional funding would allow the Department of Education (DepEd) to extend its school-based feeding program from 120 to 150 days, reaching three million malnourished Filipino children.
“For the Nutrition Program, we only need P3 billion to extend the feeding program for three million severely wasted children. Let’s put this into context: for the welfare of millions of children, we only need P3 billion—while trillions have likely already been stolen due to corruption,” Aquino said.
The senator pointed out that undernutrition and stunting remain pressing issues that continue to jeopardize the country’s future.
“Malnutrition isn’t just a health issue—it’s a national crisis that affects our children’s ability to learn, grow, and contribute to society. This is a matter of setting the right priorities,” he added.
Data from the Second Congressional Commission on Education (EDCOM 2) shows that one in four Filipino children under the age of five suffers from stunting—a condition caused by chronic malnutrition that leads to lifelong consequences, including impaired physical and cognitive development.
Between 2000 and 2020, stunting affected an estimated 26.7% of Filipino children. Experts warn that if left unaddressed, the impact on national productivity and human capital development could be severe.
Aquino also cited the “Masustansyang Pagkain Para sa Batang Pilipino Act,” a law he authored and which was enacted seven years ago. While the legislation mandates a nationwide feeding program for undernourished children, Aquino lamented its limited implementation due to funding shortfalls.
For 2025, the DepEd’s School-Based Feeding Program (SBFP) has been allotted P11.77 billion. A proposal is currently on the table to raise this to P14 billion for 2026, aiming to cover over 15 million children from Kindergarten to Grade 6.
The senator concluded by reiterating that the proposed P3-billion augmentation is a strategic investment in the country’s future.
“If we can recover even a fraction of the money lost to corruption, we can feed our children, improve their learning outcomes, and give them a fair chance at a better life,” he said.
