The Department of Science and Technology (DOST) on Friday, March 25, said that it will continue the implementation of the Malnutrition Reduction Program (MRP) in the Philippines to feed about 3.64 million stunted Filipino children aged six months to three years old.

MRP is an science-based initiative of the DOST Food and Nutrition Research Institute (DOST-FNRI) that seeks to address the high prevalence of malnutrition among infants and Filipino children.

Through the program, DOST partners with local government units (LGUs), national government agencies, as well as the private sector. DOST-FNRI has been implementing MRP since 2011.

While the program benefits many Filpinos in need, DOST highlighted the importance of having partners with the same goal of eradicating malnutrition in the country.

“Kailangan po namin ng partners hindi lang po sa gobyerno, pati po sa private sector dahil ito pong problema natin na 3.64 million children ay hindi po biro. That is about three percent of the country’s population, but more importantly ‘yan po ang future ng ating bansa (We need partners not only in the government, but also in the private sector because our problem of 3.64 million malnourished children is not a joke. That is about three percent of the country’s population, but more importantly, that is the future of our country),” said DOST Undersecretary for Research and Development Dr. Rowena Cristina Guevara.

In a press statement, DOST explained that one pack of “complementary food” developed by DOST-FNRI costs P15. This, according to the Department, is needed per child daily.

This equates to P54 million per day to feed the 3.64 million stunted children in the country for about 120 feeding days.

“Currently, through existing complementary food production facilities, can only cover 2.04 percent of this projected demand,” said DOST.

Meanwhile, DOST’s data showed that currently, MRP has succeeded in establishing a total of 37 food production facilities across the 17 regions and 33 provinces in the country.