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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider Governor's group urges LGUs to address stunting growth woes among Pinoy kids

Governor's group urges LGUs to address stunting growth woes among Pinoy kids

Published Jul 14, 2026 12:19 pm  |  Updated Jul 14, 2026 01:31 pm
The Union of Local Authorities of the Philippines (ULAP) urged local government units (LGUs) to craft measures that would address the rise of stunted growth among Filipino children. 
ULAP president Dakila “Dax’’ Cua asserted that the increasing number of stunted Filipino children is cause for alarm, stressing that undernourishment has negative effects on learning.
He emphasized the urgent need to implement strategic interventions to stop this grave public health problem from further worsening.
“I hope that we in government be reminded of our crucial role in ensuring that the food requirements of our people, especially children, are met,” Cua said.
Likewise, Cua urged his fellow local leaders to set aside funds to supplement the Department of Education’s (DepEd) school-based feeding program.
According to the 2025 Updating Survey Results released by the Department of Science and Technology-Food and Nutrition Research Institute (DOST-FNRI), the stunting rate among under-five children, especially those aged 0 to 59 months, has reached 25.3 percent, or roughly one in four children.
“The updating survey, conducted every two-three years, was carried out from April 23, 2025, to March 31, 2026. It covered 91.5 percent of the targeted households across all 118 provinces and highly urbanized cities in the country,’’ Cua noted.
The Second Congressional Commission on Education noted in its studies on Early Childhood Care and Development that malnutrition in the earliest years of life severely impairs cognitive development, language acquisition, and readiness to learn.
It added that stunting remains one of the strongest predictors of poor educational outcomes later in life.
Cua urged his fellow local leaders to set aside funds to supplement the Department of Education’s school-based feeding program, "We have the power to allocate for nutrition from our national tax allocation, or even access funds such as the Local Government Support Fund, to create supplementary programs ensuring that children’s nutritional needs are targeted."
He also raised the possibility of LGUs helping the DepEd in its issues with logistics and absorptive capacity with regard to the P25.6 billion SBFP’s (School-Based Feeding Program) implementation.
Institutionalized under Republic Act (RA) 11037 or the Masustansyang Pagkain para sa Batang Pilipino Act is geared towards enhancing the nutrition, attendance and academic performance of undernourished learners by providing nutritious daily meals and milk.
“I believe the DepEd are having issues with their absorptive capacity for the SBFP for this year. Baka maaaring pag-usapan ng DepEd at LGUs kung paano kami makatutulong para maresolba ang mga isyung ito upang maging matagumpay ang implementasyon ng SBFP (I believe the DepEd are having issues with their absorptive capacity for the SPFP for this year. The DepEd and the LGUs might confer on how we can help resolve these issues for the successful implementation of the SBFP),” Cua continued.

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