A total of 22,000 children and pregnant and lactating women in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) are expected to benefit from the Department of Social Welfare and Development’s (DSWD) Bangsamoro Umpungan sa Nutrisyon (BangUn) Program in 2026.
DSWD spokesperson Assistant Secretary Irene Dumlao said Field Office 12-Soccsksargen started the program’s 180-day nutrition services on April 28 in priority areas, including Malidegao and Nabalawag in the Special Geographic Area, Shariff Aguak and Datu Anggal Midtimbang in Maguindanao del Sur, and Datu Blah Sinsuat and Sultan Mastura in Maguindanao del Norte.
Dumlao said Field Office 10-Northern Mindanao will begin implementing the program in Lanao del Sur on May 20, while Field Office 9-Zamboanga Peninsula will start operations in Tawi-Tawi and Basilan in June.
She said the initiative supports President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s directive to end hunger and malnutrition among Filipino families. “No child, parent, or Filipino should go to bed hungry,” Dumlao said.
The BangUn program aims to improve the nutritional status of malnourished children aged 0-12 and provide health support to at-risk pregnant and lactating women. Beneficiaries undergo health monitoring, deworming, micronutrient supplementation, nutrition education, livelihood training, and psychosocial interventions.
