SENATOR Alan Peter Cayetano on Tuesday called on the government to reassess its programs and consider new approaches to tackle the mounting cases of stunting among Filipino children, stressing the importance of early intervention on the problem.
“This is a discussion with the whole of government. The DSWD (Department of Social Welfare and Development) plays a significant role, but I’d like to ask if we can try something in 2025 to really lower the numbers,” Cayetano said during the deliberation of the proposed 2025 budget for DSWD.
The senator cited data that shows at one-third of preschool-aged Filipino children are at risk of stunting, Cayetano called attention to the long-term consequences of malnutrition such as developmental delays, chronic illnesses, and limited economic opportunities in adulthood.
He said despite the increased funding for feeding programs and health initiatives, the impact in reducing stunting remains minimal.
“In the past few weeks we’d looked at all departments. In those conversations, you are basically talking about two-third of our future population, because if one-third of the children are stunted, the government programs are useless,” Cayetano said.
Moreover, Cayetano urged the DSWD to reassess existing programs such as the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) and explore how it could better monitor and support families with malnourished or at-risk children.
During his interpellation, Cayetano also proposed a similar program to 4Ps which focuses on outcomes for orphans.
The senator also called on agencies such as the Department of Health (DOH), the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), and local government units to collaborate with the DSWD in crafting more targeted and related policies.
“We all agree that prevention is better than cure. The more we take care of the stunting now, the less we have to spend on the interventions later on.” Cayetano said.
