Learning from successes in Manolo Fortich
The Philippine education crisis does not begin in the classroom; it begins in the first 1,000 days of a child’s life. Today, 23.6 percent of Filipino children under 5 are stunted. This is not merely a measure of height; it is a marker of irreversible cognitive deficit. When a child’s brain is deprived of essential nutrients during its most critical period of development, no amount of catch-up classes, digital tools, or curriculum revisions later in life can fully repair the damage.
At the Second Congressional Commission on Education (Edcom 2), we have spent the past three years diagnosing these systemic failures. However, our work is not just about exposing the cracks in the system; it is also about finding the light shining through them. We look for “positive deviants”—local government units (LGUs) that deliver outstanding results despite the same bureaucratic and resource constraints everyone else faces.
One of the brightest examples of this is the municipality of Manolo Fortich in Bukidnon.
What makes Manolo Fortich extraordinary is its holistic, institutionalized approach to early childhood nutrition. The local government did not just launch temporary feeding programs; it rewired its governance structure. The municipality strengthened its Municipal Nutrition Office by creating permanent plantilla positions for nutrition officers, supported by administrative staff and 32 barangay nutrition scholars across its 22 barangays. This ensured that consistent monitoring, individualized counseling, and comprehensive community-based services reached every household.
But they didn’t stop there. Through strong collaboration with national agencies and private partners, Manolo Fortich established Northern Mindanao’s first milk hub. In 2024 alone, 784 lactating women donated approximately 180 liters of milk. This life-saving resource was distributed to infants whose mothers had insufficient milk supply, as well as to neglected and abandoned children at a regional residential care facility.
Understanding that nutrition requires sustained infrastructure, the LGU also utilized its Local Development Fund to construct a complementary food processing facility to support the community-based production of nutritious food for at-risk households. Furthermore, they expanded their efforts in 2025 through a partnership with the Del Monte Foundation, Inc. to implement a targeted 120-day Supplemental Feeding Program for vulnerable children.
Perhaps the most forward-thinking aspect of Manolo Fortich’s strategy is its recognition that a child’s nutrition is inextricably linked to the mother’s economic empowerment. In partnership with Connected Women, AboitizPower, and the Aboitiz Foundation, the LGU trained 20 lactating mothers in Artificial Intelligence and Data Annotation (Elevate AIDA). Several of these mothers successfully secured digital jobs, allowing them to earn a living through flexible, home-based work while continuing to care for their young children.
The results of these integrated, LGU-led investments are nothing short of remarkable. From a stunting prevalence of 4 percent in 2022, Manolo Fortich successfully reduced the rate to just 2 percent by 2024.
This achievement offers a profound lesson for the rest of the country: the battle for our children’s future is won or lost at the local level. While national agencies are responsible for setting standards and providing resources, it is the local chief executives and barangay workers who must translate these policies into daily, life-saving interventions.
If we want to rescue the Philippine education system, we must stop treating nutrition as a peripheral concern and start treating it as the foundational prerequisite to learning. The National Education Plan envisions a system where every Filipino child is given a fighting chance to succeed. Our commission has also launched a portal for LGUs, complete with essential data, template ordinances, and resolutions that they can use to transform their education landscape.
Manolo Fortich proves that this is not an impossible dream. With decisive leadership, strategic partnerships, and a deep commitment to our youngest citizens, we can end the stunting crisis and build a future where every Filipino learner thrives.
—————-
Dr. Karol Mark Yee is the executive director of Edcom 2.
