Senator Francis Pangilinan on Monday said the proposed 2026 national budget addresses hunger on two fronts by improving child nutrition while directly supporting the livelihood of Filipino farmers through the purchase of locally produced milk for public schools.

Pangilinan, a bicameral conference committee member and vice chairperson of the Senate Committee on Finance, said the budget mandates public schools to procure milk from local dairy farmers, aligning nutrition programs with agricultural support.

“At present, the national budget requires that public schools buy milk from local dairy farmers. This way, we fight hunger on two fronts: nutrition for children and income for farmers,” Pangilinan said.

He explained that the initiative reflects a convergence of expanded school-feeding programs, early childhood interventions, and the principles of the Sagip Saka Act, which allows government agencies to directly purchase food from local producers without public bidding.

“There’s convergence in expanded school-feeding, early-childhood interventions, and Sagip Saka principles because our children’s health is related to the price of food and to the income of those who feed us,” he added.

Budget documents show a significant increase in funding for dairy-related agencies. The Philippine Carabao Center allocation more than doubled to P2.08 billion, largely due to a P1.12-billion milk-feeding component for Department of Education schools.

Meanwhile, the National Dairy Authority received P2.38 billion, including P1.85 billion earmarked for the milk component of the School-Based Feeding Program.

Pangilinan said linking local dairy production to school feeding reflects his long-standing advocacy for outcome-focused agriculture policies that support both farmers’ incomes and public health.

He also cited a joint study by the Philippine Institute for Development Studies and the United Nations Children’s Fund Philippines, which found that one in four Filipino children is stunted due to chronic malnutrition driven by economic inequality. In the poorest households, stunting rates reach as high as 40 percent.

The study, published in October in the book Raising the Bar: Understanding and Solving Chronic Malnutrition in the Philippines, estimated that about 2.6 million Filipino children under the age of five are affected by stunting.

“The study means that if we don't act right away, 2.6 million Filipino children will become weak not only physically but mentally,” Pangilinan said.

He stressed that sustained funding and stronger coordination among agriculture, health, and education agencies are crucial to ensure the long-term impact of the program.

“Healthy young people means a healthy future for the country,” Pangilinan said.