President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and Education Secretary Sonny Angara launched the nationwide expansion of the Department of Education's (DepEd) School-Based Feeding Program (SBFP) on Wednesday, July 8, 2026. The initiative aims to combat classroom hunger and address child malnutrition among public school learners.
Launch ceremony at Pulilan Central School
The program was formally rolled out during a kickoff ceremony at Pulilan Central School, where Marcos and Angara led the feeding activity by serving hot, nutritious meals and milk to learners. The two officials also visited booths of local partners supplying products for the feeding program.
“Alam naman natin na kung minsan ang nagiging dahilan kung bakit hindi makapag-aral nang mabuti ang mga kabataan ay kulang sa pagkain. Kaya tinanggal na natin ang problema na iyan. Ang pamahalaan na ang tutulong, ang pamahalaan na ang magpapakain,” Marcos said.
Expanded coverage and targeted support
Under the expanded program, all Kindergarten and Grade 1 learners in public schools will receive universal feeding, while undernourished learners from Grades 2 to 6 will continue to receive targeted nutritional support. It aims to ensure that the most vulnerable learners receive the critical resources needed to thrive academically.
DepEd said the expanded SBFP is intended to address the growing problem of child malnutrition, citing the latest findings of the Department of Science and Technology–Food and Nutrition Research Institute (DOST-FNRI), which showed that the stunting rate among children under five years old rose to 25.3 percent, up by 1.7 percentage points from 2023. The department noted that this was the first increase in the country's stunting rate in a decade.
Long-term investment in health and education
Angara said the initiative goes beyond providing meals and represents a long-term investment in children's health and education. “Every percentage point represents a Filipino child whose potential is being compromised. This expanded feeding program is our decisive commitment to reversing these numbers and ensuring that our learners have the foundation they need to thrive in the classroom and in life,” he said.
Simultaneous launch activities were also held across the country to signal the nationwide implementation of the enhanced feeding program.
Partnership with Department of Agriculture
During the event, Angara and Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. also signed a Joint Administrative Order institutionalizing the partnership between the DepEd and the Department of Agriculture to sustain the program's milk-feeding component. The agreement taps the National Dairy Authority and the Philippine Carabao Center to help manage the procurement, quality assurance, delivery, and evaluation of locally sourced milk for beneficiaries.
The launch coincided with the country's observance of Nutrition Month this July.
