The government is expanding its feeding and nutrition programs to address the rising cases of child stunting in the country, Malacañang said Thursday.

In a press briefing, Palace Press Officer Claire Castro said the Marcos administration is aware of the long-standing issue of child stunting and has already implemented interventions to address it.

“Hindi ito kahapon lang naging problema. Alam ng Pangulo ang problemang ito (This is not a problem that just happened yesterday. The President is aware of this issue),” she said, citing President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s earlier directive to establish child development centers and daycare facilities as part of early childhood nutrition and development efforts.

Castro noted that the Department of Education’s (DepEd) school-based feeding program for 2026 to 2027 has a budget of PHP25.6 billion and is expected to benefit around 4.63 million learners.

She said the program will extend feeding days to 200 days, up from 120 days in previous years, to ensure sustained nutrition support for learners.

Beneficiaries include learners from Kinder to Grade 1 under the universal feeding program, as well as undernourished students from Grade 2 to Grade 6.

Pregnant and adolescent learners, as well as vulnerable and marginalized students beyond Grade 6, are also covered, Castro said.

“Nakikita po iyan kaya po ini-expand ang programa, mas pinapahaba pa po at mas dumadami pa po ang mga benepisyaryo na mga kabataan (That is being recognized, which is why the program is being expanded and further extended, and the number of child beneficiaries is also being increased),” Castro said, when asked about the continued rise in stunting cases despite existing initiatives such as the First 1,000 Days program and food assistance interventions.

Castro added that the Department of Social Welfare and Development continues to implement its feeding initiatives, including the Walang Gutom Program and Supplemental Feeding Program, targeting about 1.8 million children enrolled in LGU-run childhood development centers and supervised neighborhood play groups nationwide.

The supplemental feeding program provides meals for children aged 3 to 5 for up to 180 days.

She said the expanded program reflects efforts to increase coverage and duration of feeding interventions to address persistent malnutrition concerns.

Stunting among children under five years old rose to 25.3 percent in 2025, data from the Food and Nutrition Research Institute of the Department of Science and Technology showed. (PNA)