The Philippine government on Wednesday launched the expansion of the School-Based Feeding Program (SBFP), as reported by BusinessWorld. The move comes amid a nationwide rise in the stunting rate among children, which officials say hampers learning and development.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said the previous program was limited because it first required determining which children were undernourished or not eating properly, causing delays in intervention. The expanded version aims to streamline identification and provide timely feeding to all students in need.
The program will now cover all public elementary schools nationwide, with a budget of PHP 5.6 billion for the current school year. The Department of Education will coordinate with local government units to ensure efficient implementation and monitoring of nutritional outcomes.