Kiko eyes free breakfast law to resolve malnutrition, improve academic performance

VIGAN CITY—Senatorial candidate Kiko Pangilinan is pushing for the passage of a law providing free and nutritious breakfast to students in pre-school to Grade 12 levels in public schools.

While visiting the city of Vigan in Ilocos Sur for the final leg of his campaign sortie in Northern Luzon on Thursday, May 8, 2025, Pangilinan said school-aged children and their parents will get the most benefit of the proposed legislation which he intends to pass should he be re-elected again in the senate.

"Kapag busog ang ating mga anak, nag-aaral sila ng husto at marami silang natututinan. Dahil sa mga paaralan na walang meals, malaki ang drop-out rate at mababa ang test score nila sa Math, Physics, Science at iba pa,” said Pangilinan citing the need to address this issue that the country faces today.

The former senator and food security czar added that a specific provision of the law should also ensure that at least 50 percent of the food supply should be locally-sourced or directly purchased from farmers and fishermen in order to increase their income also.

“Ilalagay natin sa panukalang batas na kalahati nung binibiling pagkain nung eskwelahan ay dapat binibili sa magsasaka at mangingisda sa lokal [na pamahalaan] para madagdagan na naman ang kita ng ating magsasaka at mangingisda [We will put in the proposed law that half of the food supply the school is buying must be purchased from farmers and fisherfolk in the local government unit to increase the income of farmers and fisherfolk],” Pangilinan added.

The senatorial candidate earlier expressed concern over the high number of malnourished children in the country, with the Philippine Statistics Authority’s (PSA) 2022 data showing that over three million Filipino children under five years old are stunted and over one million are wasted. The Food and Nutrition Research Institute (FNRI) also reported that one in three Filipino children aged six to 12 suffers from malnutrition.

“Walang batang dapat mag-aral ng gutom. Sa libreng almusal, binibigyan natin sila ng pagkakataon na magtagumpay [There must be no hungry student. With free breakfast, we are giving them an opportunity to succeed],” he ended.

Funding for his proposed legislation can be sourced from existing government feeding and poverty alleviation programs, as well as through partnering with the private sector and non-government organizations. (LGA)