MANILA, Philippines — Sen. Bam Aquino sought the passage of Senate Bill (SB) 2272 establishing a universal feeding program that would benefit eight million Kindergarten to Grade 3 learners.
The senator on Wednesday sponsored SB 2272 amending the Masustansyang Pagkain Para sa Batang Pilipino Act, as he raised the need to combat stunting among Filipino children.
Aquino was originally scheduled to sponsor the bill on the floor on May 11 but was deferred due to the changes in Senate leadership. He was able to do this during the Senate special session.
He sounded the alarm on the country’s child nutrition crisis, warning that millions of malnourished Filipino children are being deprived of the opportunity to reach their full potential.
“Currently, 26.7 percent of Filipino children under five years old are stunted," Aquino said in his sponsorship speech.
"Ibig sabihin po, isa sa bawat apat na kabataan ay hindi naaabot ang kanilang tunay na potensyal (It means that one in four children fail to reach their full potential)," he said.
According to enrollment data from the Department of Education for School Year 2025-26, over 7.9 million students in Kindergarten to Grade 3 stand to benefit from 231 days of feeding under the program, consisting of 201 school days and an additional 30 days during summer classes.
