A lawmaker has called on his colleagues in the House of Representatives to push for stronger implementation of the school-based feeding program to ensure learners can study properly.
In a statement on Monday, Quezon City 5th District Rep. Patrick Michael Vargas said that he has filed House Bill No. 5681 to strengthen and update Republic Act No. 11037, or the Masustansyang Pagkain para sa Batang Pilipino (nutritious food for the Filipino child) Act.
Vargas said he filed this bill following the recent observance of School Health Week, noting that malnutrition hinders the development of Filipino learners.
‘Children who want to learn should not be hungry. If their stomachs are full, their minds would be more prepared to learn,’ he said.
‘Healthy learners are better learners. Students would learn more if their stomachs are not grumbling due to hunger,’ he added.
Under the bill, there would be a provision for hot meals and milk-based supplements, while enabling the Department of Education (DepEd), the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), and the Department of Health (DOH) to create centralized school kitchens and allow local food sourcing.
Several issues regarding the school-based feeding program have been raised in past hearings in the House.
In September 2024, former BHW party-list Rep. Angelica Natasha Co pointed out that Commission on Audit (COA) reports on DepEd expenditures, when it was under Vice President Sara Duterte, indicated that 10 out of 17 regions received spoiled food, like milk and bread.
For 2026, the House is pushing for the allocation of over P12 billion under the DepEd’s school-based feeding program – the highest-ever allocation.
During the hearing of the Budget Amendments Review Sub-committee (BARSc) last October 8, House committee on appropriations chairperson and Nueva Ecija 1st District Rep. Mikaela Suansing informed members of the panel that the proposed P1.88 billion increment to the school-based feeding program has been changed to P1.83 billion.
The P50 million cut, Suansing said, would go to the Palarong Pambansa – which means that the proposed allocation will still be under the DepEd budget.
However, even with the cut, the allocation for the school-based feeding program will still be the highest ever in history.