SEN. Sherwin Gatchalian said that about five million learners would benefit from the government’s expanded, school-based feeding program (SBFP) in 2026.
The senator, chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, said on Sunday that with a P28.6 billion budget, the SBFP would cover 4.81 million learners nationwide.
He urged the Department of Education (DepEd) to tap local government units (LGUs) to ensure the program's efficient rollout.
“The fastest way to implement this is to tap the LGUs. We can go all the way down to the municipal level because the real challenge here is logistics,” Gatchalian said in a statement.
The 2026 General Appropriations Act authorized DepEd to enter into memoranda of agreement with LGUs, from barangay (villages) to provinces, as implementing partners of the feeding program.
The budget increased feeding days from 120 to 200 and covers all kindergarten to Grade 1 learners, while continuing to support wasted, severely wasted, stunted, and severely stunted children from Grades 2 to 6.
Dr. Miguel Angelo Mantaring, DepEd’s Bureau of Learner Support Services Director, said the department will engage LGUs through the Union of Local Authorities of the Philippines.
