The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) urged immediate action to address the country’s worsening child nutrition and education crisis—a call strongly welcomed by the Second Congressional Commission on Education (EDCOM 2), which vowed to accelerate key reforms to safeguard the future of Filipino children.

The CBCP sounded the alarm on the deteriorating situation, releasing a Pastoral Letter titled “Responding to the Crisis in Nutrition and Early Childhood Development” during its 130th Plenary Assembly on August 11.

Quoting Psalm 127:3, the bishops declared, “We have a moral obligation to care for children who are God’s heritage.”

Children, the CBCP stressed, are the “future of our nation,” and to delay or fail to respond to their basic needs is to delay the nation’s progress.

“More than infrastructure or arms, we must prioritize our youth and their education,” the pastoral letter read.

The CBCP’s statement aligns with EDCOM II’s findings, which warn of alarming child health and learning gaps.

The pastoral letter highlighted that 26.7 percent of Filipino children under five suffer from stunting—higher than the global average of 22.3 percent—a figure that has barely improved since 2000.

Stunting, caused by undernutrition during pregnancy, poor diet in the first 1,000 days of life, and recurring illnesses, severely affects brain development, learning capacity, and future productivity.

Only 25 percent of Filipino children aged 6–12 months meet the recommended energy intake, with widespread deficiencies in protein and healthy fats crucial for growth, the CBCP added.

The CBCP also expressed concern over minimal parental involvement in early learning.

Only 21 percent of children aged 3–4, and even fewer aged 0–2, engage in early stimulation activities. Just half of young children are regularly read to, depriving them of critical early literacy development.

Infrastructure gaps exacerbate the problem—5,800 barangays still lack child development centers despite a law mandating them since 1990.

The CBCP warned that the consequences are already evident in poor learning performance: 48 percent of Grade 1–3 students are not ready for their grade level; 80 percent of Grade 3 pupils struggle with basic math, including multiplication and division; and 30 percent are functionally illiterate.

Both CBCP and EDCOM II urge government agencies, legislators, and local governments to:

- Fully fund nutrition programs for pregnant women and children aged 0–4.

- Ensure access to nutritious food for poor and marginalized families.

- Expand early childhood education, including early stimulation (ages 0–2) and preschool (ages 3–4).

- Build child development centers in every barangay, especially in low-income areas.

The CBCP also calls on Catholic institutions to lead community awareness campaigns on stunting, refocus feeding programs on the early years, establish preschool programs in parishes without public centers, and partner with local governments in high-stunting areas.

EDCOM II Executive Director Dr. Karol Mark Yee said the bishops’ call reinforces the commission’s findings, stressing that the country’s future depends on strengthening the foundations of child nutrition and early education.

Yee described the CBCP's appeal as a “powerful reinforcement” of the commission’s findings and emphasized the critical urgency of the crisis.

“The future of the nation hinges on the well-being and education of children, and we cannot afford to delay,” Yee said.

EDCOM II vowed to continue working tirelessly with all stakeholders, including Catholic institutions and organizations, to ensure these vital programs are adequately funded and effectively implemented.

READ CBCP's pastoral letter here: