Five million students to benefit school-based feeding program

CEBU, Philippines — Nearly five million students nationwide are expected to benefit from the expanded School-Based Feeding Program (SBFP) this year, a measure seen to address malnutrition among school-aged children.

According to Senator Sherwin Gatchalian, under the 2026 national budget, ?28.6 billion has been allocated for the program, which is set to cover approximately 4.81 million learners across the country.

To ensure effective implementation, Gatchalian urged the Department of Education (DepEd) to strengthen its coordination with local government units (LGUs), citing logistics as a major challenge.

 Partnering with LGUs is the fastest way to implement the program. We can go down to the municipal level because logistics is really the main challenge,  the senator said in a statement.

The 2026 budget allows DepEd to enter into agreements with LGUs, from barangays to provincial governments, enabling them to serve as implementing partners of the feeding initiative.

The program is also expected to expand the number of feeding days from 120 to 200. It will cover all Kindergarten to Grade 1 learners, while continuing to support  wasted, severely wasted, stunted, and severely stunted  students from Grades 2 to 6.

According to Miguel Angelo Mantaring, director of the Bureau of Learner Support Services, DepEd plans to collaborate with LGUs through the Union of Local Authorities of the Philippines for a more effective approach.

Nutrition Officer III Nasudi Soluta of the National Nutrition Council (NNC-7), when sought for comment, welcomed the implementation of the supplementary feeding program, noting that there has been an increasing rate of malnutrition among school-aged children.

Nasudi, NNC-7 lead of the technical team, emphasized the need for LGUs to complement feeding efforts with broader health and nutrition initiatives that promote positive behavioral change.

Earlier, Cebu Governor Pamela Baricuatro raised concerns over the link between malnutrition and poor literacy outcomes among elementary learners.

The governor said that Cebu ranks second in the number of stunted children and that its literacy rate is a by-product of malnutrition.

Her statement follows findings from the Second Congressional Commission on Education, which revealed that nearly half of Cebu s elementary learners are not meeting expected literacy standards.

In response, Baricuatro launched the Cebu Provincial Education Secretariat (PEdS), a new office aimed at centralizing and strengthening education programs across the province.

The NNC-7 further stressed that malnutrition during a child s early years can have lasting effects on learning, growth, and opportunities. They added that children who experience chronic malnutrition or stunting may struggle to keep up academically as they grow older.

The agency reiterated the importance of proper nutrition during the first 1,000 days, which is from pregnancy to a child s second birthday, as a critical foundation for lifelong learning and development.

Meanwhile, the Department of Social Welfare and Development-7 announced that beneficiaries of the Walang Gutom Program in Central Visayas, particularly in Cebu and Bohol, may redeem their food packages during the Food Redemption Month (FRM 3), which will run from March 6 to March 26, 2026.

For this redemption schedule, 22,941 beneficiaries may redeem their nutrient-rich commodities in the two provinces. Of this number, 19,329 beneficiaries are residents of Cebu, while 3,612 are from Bohol.

Currently, the Walang Gutom Program serves beneficiaries in 89 LGUs in Central Visayas, with 53 in Cebu and 36 in Bohol.

Beneficiaries, however, are advised to inquire about the schedule and venue, as well as the list of eligible beneficiaries, from their respective barangays, LGUs, or Community Engagement Coordinators (CECs) to obtain accurate information and avoid misunderstandings.

They can redeem their pre-ordered food package worth P3,000.00 using Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) cards at partner retailers in their respective municipalities and cities.

Each EBT card contains P3,000.00 in food credits from DSWD-WGP to redeem food commodities, with 50% (P1,500.00) allocated to carbohydrates, 30% (P900.00) for proteins, and 20% (P600.00) for fruits and vegetables. (CEBU NEWS)