DepEd expands feeding program to all kindergarten learners
The program was formally launched Monday at Juan Sumulong Elementary School in Antipolo City, where education officials outlined the expansion as part of a broader national strategy focused on health, learning, and child development.
With a budget of ?11.77 billion for 2025 and a proposed ?14 billion for 2026, the expanded SBFP aims to provide daily hot meals and fortified food products to approximately 3.4 million learners—including all kindergarten pupils and undernourished children in Grades 1 to 6.
'To be implemented over 120 school days, this year's feeding program is no longer limited to severely wasted or underweight students,' DepEd said in a statement.
'Instead, it now covers all kindergarten learners to support cognitive development and classroom readiness from an early age.'
DepEd Secretary Juan Edgardo 'Sonny' Angara emphasized the role of nutrition in education outcomes during the launch.
'Kapag may sapat na nutrisyon ang mga bata, mas madali silang matuto. Hindi natin kailangan hintayin pang magutom o magkasakit sila bago kumilos,' he said.
(When children have adequate nutrition, they learn more easily. We don't need to wait for them to go hungry or get sick before we act.)
'Support'
According to DepEd, last year's program led to a notable decrease in the number of severely wasted kindergarten learners, which dropped from 113,451 to 47,281. Educators have also reported improvements in student alertness, participation, and overall health.
In regions such as Cagayan Valley (Region II) and Davao (Region XI), local data showed that cases of severely undernourished kindergarten children fell by up to 80 percent following implementation of the feeding program.
The agency also cited growing infrastructure supporting the initiative, with 74 central kitchens now operational and over 44,000 public schools participating in the Gulayan sa Paaralan Program—school gardens that help provide fresh vegetables while also promoting nutrition education.
The program is being carried out in coordination with local government units, the Department of Health, the Department of Social Welfare and Development, and civil society partners. Officials stressed that success depends not only on food provision but also on sustained support for children's health, instruction, and home environments.
'Sama-samang gawain ito. Gobyerno ang nangunguna, pero kailangan ang suporta ng buong komunidad,' Angara added.
(This is a shared effort. The government is leading, but support from the whole community is essential.)
Future plans for the SBFP include improving health monitoring, refining meal quality, and expanding coverage to additional grade levels, particularly Grades 1 to 3, where nutritional gaps continue to affect learning outcomes. DepEd is also exploring increased partnerships with local farmers through homegrown school feeding models.
The initiative is part of the administration's broader goals to invest in human capital development by addressing malnutrition early in life—an approach aligned with long-term efforts to improve learning outcomes and reduce inequality. —VAL, GMA Integrated News
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