Gatchalian wants feeding program expanded to all Kinder, Grade 1 students

Senator Win Gatchalian is advocating for the expansion of the DepEd's School-Based Feeding Program to include all Kindergarten and Grade 1 students across the country.

He highlighted that adequate nutrition is crucial for a child's cognitive development, school readiness, and overall academic achievement during their early years.

The proposed program would require an estimated P16 billion to provide a 200-day feeding program for the targeted students.

Gatchalian expressed concerns about the logistical challenge of feeding approximately three million children daily with quality meals and questioned DepEd's capacity to manage such an undertaking.

To ensure consistency and quality in meal delivery, he suggested LGUs could utilize varied implementation models, such as a central kitchen system for smaller cities and municipalities.