Senator Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan voted to pass on third reading the Expanded National Nutrition Program Act, which seeks to turn the government’s existing nutrition and school-feeding initiatives into a broader and better-funded feeding program to fight child malnutrition, stunting, and the learning crisis.
Calling Senate Bill No. 2272 “extensive” and “humane,” the veteran lawmaker underscored what he described as the most “basic,” “urgent,” and “sacred” responsibility of public officials: ensuring that every Filipino child has an equal opportunity to grow up healthy, learn, thrive, and become a productive member of society.
“Sa pamamagitan ng panukalang ito, alagaan natin ang kalusugan ng ating mga anak. Poprotektahan natin ang kanilang kinabukasan. At patunayan natin na ang Republika ng Pilipinas, marunong at handang magpalaki ng malulusog, mahuhusay, matitino, at mabubuting batang Pilipino,” he said.
“For these reasons, Mr. President, I vote yes on Senate Bill No. 2272,” he added.
The bill, Pangilinan explained, covers nutritionally at-risk pregnant adolescent learners, pregnant and lactating women, infants and toddlers, children ages 24 months to 59 months, kindergarten to Grade 3 learners, undernourished Grades 4 to Grade 6 students, and vulnerable learners.
“Sakop lahat ito,” the senator stressed, pointing out that the measure also incorporates his 2019 Sagip Saka Act as a mode of procurement.
Under the Sagip Saka Act, national government agencies and local government units—and in the case of this bill, schools and child development centers—may purchase directly from accredited local farmers and fisherfolk cooperatives without public bidding.
“This way, we raise healthier children. At the same time, we create strong rural livelihoods, more reliable local markets, and greater dignity for those who produce our food. Sariwa, bagong ani, bagong huli, bagong katay ng mga produktong pagkain para sa ating mga anak,” he said.
He also lauded the bill’s provision requiring farmers and fisherfolk to be paid within 15 working days for the food they supply.
Pangilinan, who has advocated for farmers’ and fisherfolk empowerment and food security for more than a decade, filed Senate Bill No. 219, or the Libreng Almusal Act, upon his return to the Senate last year.
This fulfilled his campaign promise to address hunger and malnutrition not only as a nutrition problem, but as an education problem.
This bill has been consolidated into Senate Bill No. 2272, or the Expanded National Nutrition Program Act.
Citing the 2025 Updating Survey Results released by the DOST-Food and Nutrition Research Institute (DOST-FNRI), the Second Congressional Commission on Education (EDCOM 2) expressed grave concern over the stunting rate among under-five children, especially those aged 0 to 59 months.
The latest data showed that it has reached 25.3%, equivalent to roughly one in four children and representing a 1.7% increase from 2023—the first jump in the country’s stunting rate since 2015.
Earlier EDCOM 2 studies stated that “malnutrition in the earliest years of life severely impairs cognitive development, language acquisition, and readiness to learn.”