Former senator and senatorial candidate Kiko Pangilinan underscored the importance of his proposed free breakfast program to address the learning gaps and dropout rates in the country.
During a speech before barangay officials in San Pablo City, Laguna recently, the former food security czar shared his plans to push for a free breakfast program for public school students in the daycare to Grade 12 levels if he wins in the May 2025 midterm polls.
The program, Pangilinan said, is being implemented in other countries to address malnutrition in school-age children.
“Ang datos, kapag busog ang ating mga anak, eh mas naeenganyong mag aral.”
“Dahil ang datos, kapag busog ang ating mga anak, eh mas naeenganyong mag aral, mas tumataas ang kapasidad na matuto, mas magiging maayos ang pag-aaral at mas marami ang tuloy tuloy na nagtatapos dahil busog,” he explained.
Lamenting that school dropout rates increase because of hunger, Pangilinan pointed out the link between hunger and education.
“Kaya kapag may libreng almusal ang kalidad ng edukasyon ng ating mga anak ay tiyak,” he said, adding that the free breakfast program will also alleviate the problems for impoverished families to provide nutritious meals for their children.
According to the World Food Program (WFP), “nutritious food is essential not only for a child’s healthy growth, but for their academic performance as well.”
It also noted how school meals help keep children in school rather than work at home or enter in early marriages.
Shortage in nutrients, the WFP added, reduces brain cell production and results in slower language development, impaired fine motor skills and lower IQ.
Furthermore, Pangilinan said that his proposed free breakfast program will require that half of its budget will be spent buying produce from farmers and fisherfolk in the schools’ localities.
“Kalahati ng ihahain na almusal dapat binibili sa lokal na magsasaka at mangingisda.”
“Kalahati ng ihahain na almusal dapat binibili sa lokal na magsasaka at mangingisda, direkta, para pati ang ating mga magsasaka at mangingisda madadagdagan ang kita,” he stressed.
This will be possible through the Sagip Saka Act, a law that he authored to allow the national and local governments to buy directly from farmers and fisherfolk without the need for a public bidding and without the restrictions of the procurement law.
By buying directly from farmers and fisherfolk, the former senator said that not only will schools have access to fresh and nutritious produce, but they can also save more than half of their budget.
Additionally, local farmers and fisherfolk will also gain access to a bigger market and increase their incomes.
