THE PHILIPPINE Charity Sweepstakes Office vowed to raise funds for its program to combat malnutrition among Filipino students.

PCSO Chairperson Junie Cua said they will hold special sweepstakes to gather more funds and contribute more in the fight against malnutrition.

The agency is mandated by Republic Act 4621 to hold annual special sweepstakes for the benefit of the Nutrition Foundation of the Philippines.

“We will also solicit President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s help, along with our other leaders, in convincing our people to pitch in for the cause of nutrition, and for the other advocacies to which the PCSO contributes,” Cua said.

The World Food Programme reported that only a little more than a quarter of Filipino schoolchildren are covered by PCSO’s campaign to combat malnutrition.

It said that around 3.5 million Filipino students or 27 percent of the student population benefitted from government-led school meal programs in 2022.

The figure is 16 percent higher than in 2021, where only 2.3 million students benefitted from the feeding programs.