The World Bank has cited progress in spending the $178.1-million loan that the Philippines obtained two years ago to fight prevalent stunting among Filipino children.

A Sept. 23 implementation status and results report showed the Washington-based multilateral lender upgraded the overall risk rating of the Philippines multisectoral nutrition project to "moderate" from "substantial" previously.

This project being implemented by the departments of Health (DOH) and of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) remained "satisfactory" in overall implementation progress towards achieving the development objective, which is to reduce stunting in targeted local government units (LGUs).

It was the Duterte administration's last World Bank loan before President Marcos took over in mid-2022. So far, $92.88 million or more than half of the credit had already been disbursed, before the project ends in 2026.

In terms of spending the loan proceeds, the disbursement rate jumped to 52 percent in end-August from 34 percent last March, the World Bank noted.

A World Bank technical mission last June "concluded that the project is on track in achieving critical milestones across the project components and has made progress towards the achievement of the development objectives," the report said.

The World Bank said among major project inroads included the DOH's release of the $11.1-million first tranche of performance-based grants to implementing LGUs; delivery of nutrition commodities and equipment procured via two United Nations (UN) bodies; and harmonization of hunger and malnutrition data.

Also, "the DSWD further made a significant leap in the completion of the community subprojects for the implementation of nutrition-sensitive interventions through early childhood care and development, and water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) increasing the completion rate from 34 percent in March 2024 to 89 percent in August 2024," the World Bank added.

In 2021, the World Bank reported that the Philippines was suffering from a "silent pandemic" — childhood stunting resulting from undernutrition.

Stunted children are smaller in height compared to healthier same-aged kids.

In 2019, 29 percent of Filipino children aged five and below were stunted, World Bank estimates revealed. The Philippines had the fifth-highest stunting prevalence in the East Asia and Pacific region, and was in the top 10 globally.

Stunting had been mostly blamed on micronutrient undernutrition among infants, kids and pregnant women. The COVID-19 pandemic also likely aggravated stunting and undernutrition in the country, according to the World Bank.