PASAY CITY—The Senate Committee on Basic Education convened a crucial hearing on Tuesday, November 25, 2025, to confront the persistent and alarming rate of stunting among Filipino schoolchildren. The panel met with key officials from government agencies and representatives of education stakeholders to discuss proposed legislative measures aimed at overhauling the national feeding program. 

Senator Benigno ‘Bam’ Aquino, Chairman of the Committee on Education stated in his opening statement that the rate of the country’s stunted children is very alarming.

“Ayon po sa EDCOM, 26.7% of Filipino children under 5 years old are stunted. Over 1/4 ng mga kabataan po ay stunted.”

The central focus of the deliberation was not only to ensure the proper growth and development of children but also to implement a strategy that simultaneously supports local agriculture and boosts farmer income.

A significant challenge highlighted during the meeting was the lack of a unified structure in the current feeding program's rollout. Stakeholders and senators agreed that without a single, cohesive framework, the effectiveness of national nutritional interventions remains fragmented and difficult to monitor. 

The committee underscored the imperative need to establish a unified strategy to guide all aspects of the program, from procurement and preparation to distribution and evaluation, ensuring that resources are deployed efficiently to the areas with the highest need.

Further hearings are expected to refine the bills, with the goal of creating a national feeding program that is robust, well-funded, and structurally unified to deliver tangible, sustainable results in addressing malnutrition in the Philippines.

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