PH nutrition programs: Too little, too late

The urgency defining our nation’s educational crisis is matched only by the severity of the nutritional emergency impacting our youngest children. The findings by the Second Congressional Commission on Education (Edcom 2) and by the Philippine Institute for Development Studies, which we presented during a recent Senate hearing, underscore a painful reality: 26.7 percent of Filipino children under 5 years old are stunted. This means that over one quarter of our young population has already suffered irreversible damage to their cognitive and physical development, compromising their capacity to learn, work, and achieve their true potential. Their future, and that of our nation, is growing dimmer.

Current government investments in child nutrition are not strategic. While resources have commendably been increased for the Department of Education’s School-Based Feeding Program (for malnourished children from Kinder to Grade 6), these interventions are often too late. The damage to cognitive development caused by stunting in the earliest years—before a child even enters kindergarten—is largely irreversible by the time they enter school. The most important window to intervene is from age 0 to 4 years old—unfortunately, the period that we are least investing in as a country. For us to effectively nip stunting in the bud, we must invest strategically during these early years, and especially, during the first 1,000 days (0 to 2 years), where the highest rate of return for rapid brain and physical development lies.

The Department of Health (DOH) and the National Nutrition Council (NNC) must step up and do their part. Republic Act No. 11148 (First 1,000 days law) is clear: “The DOH, in coordination with the NNC, the DA, the LGUs, and other NGAs concerned, shall be responsible for the implementation of this Act.” The laws governing the NNC are likewise explicit: The Council shall “oversee and serve as a focal point in the integration of nutrition policies and programs of all member agencies” and “coordinate the joint planning and budgeting of member agencies to ensure funds for relevant nutrition programs and projects.”

But continued governance challenges have hindered us from confronting our nutrition crisis head-on. NNC’s Tutok Kainan program, for instance, reaches a maximum of 30,000 pregnant women, set against a vast universe of at least 2.2 million beneficiaries. Meanwhile, DOH’s efforts relative to the first 1,000 days are disjointed and under-resourced. Of its P10.18 billion budget in 2025 for children’s health, 78 percent goes to immunization, and only P977 million goes to nutrition programs in the earliest years. Notably, the agency does not provide support for “dietary supplementation of age-appropriate and nutrient-dense quality complementary food” for children aged 6 to 24 months, assuming that most LGUs do. Thankfully, programs like the First 1,000 days grant of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), a brainchild of Secretary Rex Gatchalian, are able to provide support to many Filipino families.

For children aged 3-5, there is an urgent need to expand DSWD’s Supplemental Feeding Program. Apart from covering children aged 2 (which is part of the legislative amendment to RA 11037 filed by our Edcom legislators, Pasig City Rep. Roman Romulo, Sen. Bam Aquino, and Sen. Joel Villanueva), the program currently is able to support only 159,000 children aged 2 to 4 suffering from wasting (undernourishment). This accounts for a mere 43 percent of the total 373,000 undernourished children in that bracket. This means that about 213,000 children are still unable to receive the necessary intervention because they do not attend child development centers or daycares, where the feeding is conducted.

Beyond funding shortfalls, our greatest impediment is structural confusion and inaction. The current system relies on confusing hand-offs between the DOH (for 0 to 2 years), DSWD (for 3 to 5 years), and DepEd (5 to 12 years). While the NNC has been set up to coordinate these interventions, its inability to do so has led to disjointed programs and ineffective targeting. To date, no agency monitors nutrition expenditures and programs of LGUs to implement these laws. Meanwhile, many low-income LGUs also suffer the highest stunting rates because of their inability to resource the robust programs required by the law.

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At Edcom 2, Aquino has called for a fundamental system reset in order to clearly define the most effective structure, determine who is in the best position to lead, and then ensure that capacity and funding align with clear accountabilities. Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano has also advocated for the creation of an Anti-Stunting Action Plan Council. This much is clear: decisive legislative action is necessary—and long needed—if we are to finally address our challenges in early years nutrition. We need to invest in the earliest years and ensure that someone is on top of things and is held accountable for its implementation. Only then can we truly pursue the goal of creating a Philippines where every child is healthy and ready to learn.

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Dr. Karol Mark Yee is the executive director of the Second Congressional Commission on Education, or Edcom 2.