Senator Win Gatchalian is pushing for the expansion of the Department of Education’s (DepEd) School-Based Feeding Program to cover all Kindergarten and Grade 1 learners nationwide, citing the critical importance of proper nutrition during a child’s formative years.

In a statement on Saturday, Gatchalian, who serves as Vice Chair of the Senate Committee on Basic Education, emphasized that providing adequate nutrition at an early age directly supports cognitive development, school readiness, and long-term academic success.

According to the senator’s office, an estimated P16 billion will be needed to fund a 200-day feeding program for the targeted learners.

“Kaya ba nating pakainin ang tatlong milyong bata araw-araw ng kalidad na pagkain? Ito yung hamon sa atin (Can we feed three million children every day with quality meals? That’s the challenge we’re facing). And this is what we want to learn from the DepEd because we can work on the budget, but can they spend it?,” Gatchalian said. 

To maintain consistency and quality of meals, Gatchalian proposed the use of varied implementation models depending on the size and capacity of local government units (LGUs). For instance, smaller cities and municipalities may adopt a central kitchen system to streamline food preparation and distribution.

He also underscored the need to mobilize LGUs in rolling out nutrition programs, in line with the Early Childhood Care and Development System Act (Republic Act No. 12199), which mandates a holistic approach to the care and development of young children.