The Commission on Human Rights (CHR) expresses its utmost support for Senate Bill (SB) No. 2728 as it aims to expand the practice of nutrition, proper eating habits, and overall health from grade school to secondary school.
Filed by Senator Jinggoy Estrada, SB 2728 proposes to amend Republic Act (RA) No. 11037 also known as the “Masustansyang Pagkain para sa Batang Pilipino Act,” providing school-based feeding programs to public school children from Kindergarten to Grade 12 for a minimum of 120 days per year.
According to a study, with the Expanded National Nutrition Survey indicating a high prevalence of stunting among adolescents in rural areas and marginalised households, nutritional deficiencies can impair children’s cognitive development and academic performance, leading to lower-quality learning outcomes and absences from school. [1] This bill aims to move in the opposite direction and combat malnutrition by beginning to provide fortified meals, not only to the pupils in grade school but also to include adolescents up to grade 12. CHR believes that focusing on secondary schools and adolescent nutrition is just as important as child nutrition as this is a crucial time for their development.
The Commission highlights the significance of this bill as it reinforces the implementation of Article II, Section 15 of the Constitution which declares that “the State shall protect and promote the right to health of the people and instil health consciousness among them.” It also fulfils the country’s commitment to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC), particularly Article 24, Section 2 (c) which states “to combat disease and malnutrition… the application of readily available technology and through the provision of adequate nutritious foods and clean drinking-water…”
The Commission is one with the government, the United Nations (UN), and other relevant agencies in recognising every person as nation builder with the right to quality, safe, and nutritious food, and advocates for a more healthy and equitable nation. We call on legislators to advance the passage of SB 2728 and other similar bills as they have the potential to combat malnutrition in the country, promoting the critical role of proper nutrition in nation’s development. ###
[1] Philippine Nutrition Facts and Figures 2018 – 2019: Expanded National Nutrition Survey (ENNS) | May 2022 https://enutrition.fnri.dost.gov.ph/uploads/2018-2019%20ENNS%20FACTS%20AND%20FIGURES_JULY182023.pdf