Aside from being the most transparent, the 2026 national budget also tackles hunger on two fronts by improving child nutrition while putting income directly into the hands of Filipino farmers, Senator Kiko Pangilinan said.
“Sa pagkakataong ito, tinatalaga ng pambansang badyet na bumili ang mga public school ng gatas sa mga lokal na maggagatas,” the veteran legislator explained.
“Dalawa agad ang lulutasing problema nito sa gutom: nutrisyon ng mga batang Pilipino at kita ng mga magsasaka.”
“Dalawa agad ang lulutasing problema nito sa gutom: nutrisyon ng mga batang Pilipino at kita ng mga magsasaka,” added Pangilinan, bicam panel member as Vice Chairperson of the Committee on Finance.
“Merong convergence sa expanded school-feeding, early-childhood interventions, at sa mga prinsipyo ng Sagip Saka dahil magkakaugnay ang kalusugan ng ating mga anak sa presyo ng pagkain at sa kita ng mga nagpapakain sa atin,” the seasoned lawmaker added.
Sagip Saka provides direct purchase of food by government agencies from local food producers without public bidding.
Budget documents show that funding for the Philippine Carabao Center more than doubled to ₱2.08 billion, driven largely by a ₱1.12-billion milk feeding component for the Department of Education (DepEd) schools, while the National Dairy Authority received a ₱2.38-billion allocation, including ₱1.85 billion for the milk component of the School-Based Feeding Program.
Linking local dairy production to school feeding programs reflects the senator’s long-standing push for outcome-focused agriculture that supports both farmers’ incomes and people’s health.
“One in four Filipino children is stunted because of chronic malnutrition.”
A joint study by the Philippine Institute for Development Studies (PIDS) and the United Nations Children’s Fund (Unicef) Philippines revealed that one in four Filipino children is stunted because of chronic malnutrition due to economic inequalities. In the poorest households, the rates reach 40 percent.
Released in the new book “Raising the Bar: Understanding and Solving Chronic Malnutrition in the Philippines” last October, the study said that that 24 percent rate of stunting is equivalent to about 2.6 million Filipino children under five.
“Ibig sabihin ng pag-aaral, kung hindi tayo gagalaw agad-agad, 2.6 milyong batang Pilipino ang magiging mahina hindi lang sa pangangatawan kundi pati sa pag-iisip,” he said.
“Malusog ang hinaharap ng bansa kung malusog ang kabataan,” Pangilinan added, noting that sustained funding and stronger coordination with health and education agencies will be needed to ensure long-term impact.
