President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has ordered that all students be provided with nutritious sustenance, following the nationwide rollout of the government-led feeding program on Wednesday.

The President, in his speech, said that previously the government had targeted only beneficiary students, which they are now rectifying.

“Meron tayong feeding program noon, pero kulang-kulang dahil namimili pa tayo kung sino yung kulang ang pagkain, hindi nakakain nang mabuti, kaya't hindi makapag-aral nang mabuti. At natuklasan naman namin na karamihan naman ay dapat talaga pakainin na lang natin, huwag na natin piliin kung sino yung mga dapat bigyan at sino ang hindi kasama sa feeding program, at ginawa po natin ito kagaya ng sabi ni Sec. Sonny [Angara],” he said at the roll-out of the National Feeding and Milk-feeding Program at Pulilan Central School, Pulilan, Bulacan.

The President said the government knows that most students are not finishing their studies because of malnourishment.

“Pero ito ay napakalaking bagay para sa akin. Alam naman natin na kung minsan ang nagiging dahilan kung bakit hindi makapag-aral nang mabuti ang mga kabataan ay ang kulang sa pagkain. At kaya tinanggal na natin ang problema na ’yan para tiyak tayo na lahat ng mga pumapasok na nag-aaral ay hindi na kailangang alalahanin ang kanilang kakainin, hindi na alalahanin ang kanilang mga pamilya, ang pamahalaan na ang tutulong at ang pamahalaan na ang magpapakain,” he assured.

Malnutrition remains a critical public health emergency in the country, with stunting affecting roughly 23.6 to 25.3 percent of children under five.

To combat this, the Department of Education rolled out a P25.7-billion School-Based Feeding Program spanning 200 days.

The President maintained that the feeding program complements the administration's broader education reforms designed to prepare Filipino learners for the future.
 
"Marami tayong ginagawa para binabago natin ang pag-aaral para masasabi natin na hinanda na natin ang ating mga kabataan para sa kanilang kinabukasan at sa kinabukasan ng Pilipinas," President Marcos said.
 
The School-Based Feeding Program is set to implement universal feeding for all Grade 1 learners nationwide, while continuing to provide hot meals, nutritious food products, and milk to all Kindergarten learners and Grades 1-6 learners identified as Severely Wasted and Wasted.

The Philippines faces a serious malnutrition crisis, ranking 66th out of 123 countries in the Global Hunger Index with a "moderate" hunger score of 13.4.

The country ranks 5th in the East Asia and Pacific region for stunting and is in the global top 10 for the highest number of stunted children.