Nearly five million Filipino learners are set to benefit from the government’s expanded School-Based Feeding Program (SBFP) this year, Senator Win Gatchalian said.
With a P28.6 billion allocation, the program will cover 4.81 million learners nationwide.
The chairperson of the Senate Finance Committee urged the Department of Education (DepEd) to tap local government units (LGUs) to ensure the swift and efficient rollout of the program. “The fastest way to implement this is to tap the LGUs. We can go all the way down to the municipal level because the real challenge here is logistics,” Gatchalian said.
The 2026 General Appropriations Act authorizes DepEd to enter into memoranda of agreement with LGUs, from barangays to provinces, as implementing partners of the feeding program.
The budget will increase feeding days from 120 to 200 and cover all Kindergarten to Grade 1 learners, while continuing to support wasted, severely wasted, stunted, and severely stunted learners in Grades 2 to 6.
According to Dr. Miguel Angelo Mantaring, Director at the DepEd’s Bureau of Learner Support Services, the department is set to engage LGUs through the Union of Local Authorities of the Philippines.
Gatchalian: Halos 5 Milyong Mag-aaral Makikinabang sa School-Based Feeding Program
Halos limang milyong mag-aaral sa bansa ang inaasahang makikinabang sa pinalawak na School-Based Feeding Program (SBFP) ngayong taon, ayon kay Senador Win Gatchalian.
Sa ilalim ng 2026 national budget, P28.6 bilyon ang nilaan para sa programang pakikinabangan ng 4.81 milyong mga mag-aaral.
Upang epektibong maipatupad ang programa, hinimok ni Gatchalian ang Department of Education (DepEd) na makipagtulungan sa mga local government units (LGUs).
“Ang pakikipagtulungan sa mga LGUs ang pinakamabilis na paraan sa pagpapatupad ng programa. Maaari tayong bumaba hanggang sa mga munisipyo dahil ang hamon talaga dito ay ang logistics,” ani Gatchalian.
Pinahihintulutan ng 2026 national budget ang DepEd na pumasok sa kasunduan sa mga LGUs, mula mga barangay hanggang probinsya, at gawing silang implementing partners ng programa.
Inaasahan ding madadagdagan ang bilang ng mga feeding days mula 120 hanggang 200. Saklaw ng programa ang lahat ng mga mag-aaral ng Kindergarten hanggang Grade 1. Patuloy namang susuportahan ng programa ang mga wasted, severely wasted, stunted, at severely stunted na mga mag-aaral mula Grade 2 hanggang Grade 6.
Ayon kay Dr. Miguel Angelo Mantaring, Bureau of Learner Support Services director ng DepEd, nakatakdang makipagtulungan ang ahensya sa mga LGUs sa pamamagitan ng Union of Local Authorities of the Philippines.
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Photo by Mark Cayabyab / OS WIN GATCHALIAN
