The road to universal school meals in the Philippines

Today is International School Meals Day, celebrated annually on the second Thursday of March. It is a time to reflect on the progress of school-based feeding programs (SBFP) and to envision how we can further extend their reach.

At the World Food Program (WFP), we emphasize the crucial role that school meals play in enhancing children’s education and nutrition while also strengthening food systems and boosting local economies. As we commemorate this day, we must commit to expanding the scope and impact of school feeding programs to ensure every child has access to nutritious meals that support their well-being and education.

The Philippine government has long recognized the value of school meals. The SBFP was implemented nationwide in the 2010s, and Republic Act (RA) 11037 institutionalized the program in 2018. The Philippines was also the first Asian country to join the Global School Meals Coalition, demonstrating its strong commitment to providing school meals to all children by 2030. Additionally, the Philippine government will chair next year’s ASEAN Regional School Meals Coalition Summit, which will be held in the country.

Despite the program’s growing acceptance and significant budget allocation, its effectiveness has been questioned due to its limited impact on malnutrition and high operational costs. To maximize its potential, legislative changes are necessary.

Crucial amendments needed

The institutionalization of RA 11037 marked a significant step forward in addressing malnutrition among primary school children. However, challenges such as the COVID-19 pandemic, climate change and global evidence on school meals highlight the need for policy evolution to meet current demands.

Two major issues hinder the program’s success. First, it only targets children who are wasted, or acutely malnourished, at the start of the year. This excludes those suffering from other forms of malnutrition and children who are hungry due to poverty. This selective approach also creates a stigma for the targeted students. The program should adopt a broader strategy that addresses all forms of malnutrition and includes all children in targeted schools.

Second, the SBFP only provides meals for 120 school days per year (increased to 175 this school year), whereas feeding throughout the entire school year would maximize benefits. A universal approach with daily school meals would increase efficiencies, generate greater economies of scale and support the expansion of home-grown school feeding, a model proven successful globally.

WFP, in partnership with DepEd and LGUs, has been modeling this approach in nine municipalities of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) and more recently in Isabela. These initiatives provide all children with daily hot meals using locally sourced ingredients, fostering inclusivity and eliminating stigma.

A universal home-grown school feeding approach delivers more than traditional feeding programs and impacts on nutrition. It improves attendance and educational outcomes and contributes to reducing poverty. Parents save time and resources, communities benefit from circular economies and smallholder farmers gain sustainable market opportunities. Every peso invested in school meals can generate multiple benefits.

A phased expansion strategy

Given current budgetary constraints, a shift from individual targeting based on wasting status to a phased geographic expansion should be considered. The program could initially focus on public primary schools in areas with the highest malnutrition rates, as identified in the Philippines Plan of Action for Nutrition and gradually expand nationwide.

Providing meals to every child would eliminate stigma, address hunger-related learning difficulties and reduce operational costs through local procurement of fresh, fortified ingredients. Strengthening community-based procurement would also create economic opportunities for local farmers, further amplifying the program’s impact.

Home-grown school feeding

WFP is supporting the Philippine government in enhancing and expanding the national school meals program to benefit all public school primary students while simultaneously boosting the livelihoods of smallholder farmers through home-grown school feeding by 2028.

Home-grown school feeding provides smallholder farmers with market access, generating jobs and income while ensuring fresh local ingredients are used in school meals, improving the nutritional value of meals served. The success of the Kadiwa farmers participating in the Walang Gutom 2027 initiative underscores the importance of these market opportunities, particularly for female-led farming cooperatives.

In municipalities where WFP and DepEd are implementing universal home-grown school feeding, LGUs have supplemented national funding. They have financed the construction of school kitchens, taken on operational costs and procured ingredients from local smallholder farmer cooperatives.

For example, in Cauayan City, Isabela, around 1,700 children are now receiving school meals, while over 700 farmers and their families benefit from increased income opportunities. In BARMM, WFP is partnering with the Ministry of Basic, Higher and Technical Education to support nine schools in Maguindanao del Norte and Maguindanao del Sur, helping over 3,200 children receive daily meals while creating income for more than 300 farmers.

Addressing poverty is a crucial strategy in combating malnutrition. Home-grown school feeding contributes to economic stability, community well-being and long-term food and nutrition security, while setting the stage for greater educational outcomes.

The path forward

Achieving universal school meals in the Philippines is a long journey, but with continued investment from the government and strong partnerships, a future where no Filipino child goes to school hungry is within reach. Amending RA 11037 to adopt a universal home-grown school feeding model is a crucial step in the right direction.

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Regis Chapman is the World Food Program Philippines representative and country director.