Senator Sonny Angara is pushing for the expansion of school students' feeding programs to include those in secondary education.
For this purpose, Angara filed a measure that would, if enacted, amend Republic Act (RA) 11037 or the Masustansyang Pagkain Para sa Batang Pilipino Act, which institutionalized the national feeding program for undernourished children in public day care, kindergarten, and elementary schools.
Under Angara's bill, the School-Based Feeding Program (SBFP) will now include learners from Grades 7 to 12 or junior and senior high school.
It will provide all covered learners with at least one fortified meal for a period of not less than 120 days in a year.
"Studies have consistently shown that hunger has a correlation to the ability of students to learn. This is on top of the still nagging issue of stunting among Filipino children, which is why we must constantly find ways to provide them with proper nutrition in all stages of development,” Angara said in filing the bill.