MANILA — The bicameral conference committee on the 2026 national budget has approved Senator Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan’s proposal to expand the milk component of the Department of Education’s School-Based Feeding Program and to source food directly from Filipino farmers, fishers, and dairy producers under the Sagip Saka Act.

Lawmakers from both chambers approved a nearly ₱1-trillion budget for DepEd on Saturday evening, more than doubling the allocation for the school feeding program to ₱25.7 billion from ₱11.7 billion in the National Expenditure Program.

“Pagkakataon ito para tugunan sa isang programa ang kambal na kagyat na pangangailangan: pakainin nang maayos ang batang Pilipino, at bigyan ang mga magsasaka at mangingisda ng matatag na merkado para sa kanilang ani at huli (This is a chance to hit two urgent needs with one program: feed our children properly, and provide farmers and fishers a stable market for their produce and catch),” Pangilinan said.

With the increased funding, the School-Based Feeding Program has been extended from 120 to 200 school days, including 30 days for the milk feeding component. The program covers kindergarten to Grade 1 learners and also includes Grade 2 to Grade 6 learners who are classified as wasted to severely wasted.

Pangilinan said the effectiveness of the program depends on direct procurement from accredited farmers’ and fishers’ cooperatives, as provided under Republic Act 11321 or the Sagip Saka Act.

“Diretso agad sa mga magsasaka at mangingisda ang pera, hindi sa middlemen (The money should go straight to producers, not middlemen),” he said.

The milk feeding component will be implemented by the National Dairy Authority and the Philippine Carabao Center, with fresh milk purchased directly from local dairy farmers instead of imported powdered milk.

“Namumuhunan tayo sa kalusugan ng ating kabataan, sa kita ng ating mga sakahan, at sa seguridad ng pagkain ng bayan. Tinutupad natin ang pangako ng Sagip Saka: Pakainin ang bata, itaguyod ang magsasaka at mangingisda (We are investing in our children’s health, incomes of our farms, and the country’s food security. We are fulfilling the promise of Sagip Saka: Feed the child, support the farmer and the fisher),” Pangilinan added.