The country’s leading business executives are urging the government to allocate more funds for nutrition-sensitive programs in the country’s national budget, following the recent enactment of a law improving the quality of early childhood education and care in the country.

The Management Association of the Philippines (MAP), which comprises the country’s tycoons and business leaders, said it fully supports Republic Act (RA) No. 12199, or the Early Childhood Care and Development (ECCD) System Act.

The ECCD Act, signed on May 8, is anchored on strategic mechanisms that aim to provide proper education, care, and nutrition for children under five years old.

MAP, in particular, lauded the law for educating and training parents and parent substitutes on responsible caregiving.

It likewise commended its move to urge active involvement of parents and communities in ECCD programs, as well as its measure to raise awareness about efforts to improve the quality of life for young children and families.

MAP said this law should enable future deliberations of the country’s national budget to prioritize funding for programs that will address “underlying determinants of proper nutrition.”

The business group said more funding should be directed to services that push for food security, access to nutritious food at cheaper prices, and availability of health and social services.

It also vouched for nutrition-specific interventions that deal with micronutrient deficiency and other immediate causes of maternal and child malnutrition.

In February of this year, MAP joined other business organizations such as the Makati Business Club (MBC) in calling for a more “transparent and accountable” budget process.

In a strongly-worded statement, the groups raised the alarm on changes introduced by the bicameral conference committee in the 2025 General Appropriations Act (GAA), which embodies this year’s budget of ₱6.326 trillion.

They pointed out that the committee, composed of members of the Senate and the House of Representatives, significantly reduced allocations for programmed healthcare, social services, and education projects.

“In place of these programmed projects, the bicameral committee inserted local infrastructure projects and types of unconditional cash transfers which, we believe, promote a culture of patronage and dependency,” the groups said.

Meanwhile, MAP said it welcomes the opportunity to participate in the crafting of the ECCD Act’s implementing rules and regulations (IRR).

The group pointed out that severe malnutrition continues to be a serious problem in the country.

Citing a World Bank study, it noted that one in every three Filipino children below five years old are suffering from stunting.

MAP said that through the ECCD Act and other nutrition-sensitive programs, the country will be able to solve its long-running issue with child stunting.

“Failure to address this national problem in an urgent and decisive manner will place our country's future in the hands of stunted children becoming adults whose capacity to be productive, competitive, and creative is limited,” the group said.

“That will imperil national development and progress,” it stressed.