Former Vice President and senatorial aspirant Jejomar Binay said on Friday, April 1, that the government must allocate additional funds for its initiatives to bring down child malnutrition levels in the country.
Binay cited a 2021 World Bank report that said there has been almost no improvement in the prevalence of malnutrition in the country for nearly 30 years. It added that 29 percent, or one in three children younger than five years old, suffers from stunting as a result of malnutrition.
“We should provide the needed funds for all government programs aimed at addressing child malnutrition, and at the same time encourage partnerships with the business sector and civil society,” Binay said.
He explained that the government must prioritize an expanded immunization program, human milk bank, feeding program, and other similar initiatives and added that malnutrition programs should focus on regions identified in the World Bank report where stunting exceeded 40 per cent of the population.
These are the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) with 45 percent; Occidental Mindoro, Oriental Mindoro, Marinduque, Romblon, and Palawan (MIMAROPA) with 41 percent; Bicol, Western Visayas, South Cotabato, Cotabato, Sultan Kudarat, Sarangani and General Santos (SOCCKSARGEN) with 40 percent.
The former vice president said that he has made curbing malnutrition of children one of his priorities even during his time as Makati City mayor.
“We have pioneered programs in Makati to decrease the number of children suffering from hunger and malnutrition. As a result, Makati has one of the lowest malnutrition rates in the country,” Binay said.
Makati’s malnutrition rate is at 0.54 per cent.
“Investing in the future of our youth involves taking care of their education and their health,” Binay said.
Binay's daughter, Abby, took over as mayor of Makati City and has advocated to provide adequate and nutritious food for its residents even during the Covid-19 pandemic. This includes the regular distribution of food packs to its residents, seniors, persons with disabilities (PWD), and children.
Makati also launched various programs that provide both food and financial aid to its constituents.