MANILA — The Senate resumed its hearing on several proposed amendments to Republic Act No. 11037, or the “Masustansyang Pagkain Para sa Batang Pilipino Act,” as lawmakers sought stronger measures to address child stunting and improve early childhood nutrition.

Senator Kiko Pangilinan was present as the Committee on Basic Education, jointly with the Committees on Local Government, Agriculture, and Finance, opened discussions on Senate Bills 87, 219, 431, 902, 1145, 1192, 1207, 1212, 1312, 1375, and 1471. The committee first convened on September 11, 2025.

The committee thanked representatives from various sectors for their continued support for education reforms, noting that their efforts helped secure increased funding for school-based feeding programs. The feeding cycle has expanded from 120 to 200 days.

Before the end of National Children’s Month, senators revisited the state of nutrition among Filipino children, highlighting the high stunting rate in the country. Citing the EDCOM Report, the committee noted that 26.7 percent of Filipino children under five years old are stunted.

According to the committee, stunting affects physical development, learning capacity, future work productivity, and long-term quality of life. “Ibig sabihin, isa sa bawat apat na kabataan ay hindi na po matatamo ang kanilang tunay na potensyal dahil po sa stunting. Magiging matamlay po ang kanilang kinabukasan,” the panel said.

Officials from the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) and National Nutrition Council were invited to present updates on government programs for the First 1,000 Days and the Supplemental Feeding Program. The committee also emphasized the importance of proper nutrition for children aged zero to five, describing it as critical to cognitive growth and learning outcomes.

“Ayon po sa EDCOM, pag sinigurado natin ang tamang nutrisyon ng mga bata mula sa first 1,000 days hanggang sa 5 years old, sinisigurado rin natin ang long-term learning capacity nila,” the committee said.

Lawmakers also noted that while school-based feeding programs receive substantial funding — with an increase of around P16 billion — more support is needed for younger children. “Kaya lang po… lumabas din na ‘yung 0-5 actually kailangan na nating maagapan,” the panel said, adding that early childhood intervention is essential to ensuring the effectiveness of school-based feeding once children enter formal schooling.

The committee said DSWD’s daycare-based feeding initiatives are relatively new compared to DepEd’s decade-old school-based feeding program, making it necessary to identify implementation gaps, challenges, and support needs to strengthen services for 0-to-5-year-olds.

DSWD Secretary Rex Gatchalian was also informed that EDCOM 2 has been amended to include his agency, recognizing its role in addressing nutrition challenges. “We will welcome you in EDCOM,” senators said, noting the measure is expected to pass soon.

Lawmakers expressed hope that amending RA 11037 would help reduce the country’s stunting rate. “Ang hangarin po natin: Isang Pilipinas kung saan ang mga bata ay busog, malusog, at handang matuto,” the committee said.

They also reiterated calls to fund programs genuinely beneficial to children, while cutting allocations vulnerable to corruption. “Ang panawagan po ng aming komite, ‘edukasyon, hindi korapsyon’ at kasama po rito ang pagbibigay ng tamang nutrisyon sa ating mga kabataan,” the panel added.