SENATOR Francis ‘Kiko’ Pangilinan on Monday said that aside from being the most transparent, the 2026 national budget also addresses hunger on two fronts: improving child nutrition and putting income directly into the hands of Filipino farmers.

“Sa pagkakataong ito, tinatalaga ng pambansang badyet na bumili ang mga public school ng gatas sa mga lokal na maggagatas. Dalawa agad ang lulutasing problema nito sa gutom: nutrisyon ng mga batang Pilipino at kita ng mga magsasaka,” said Pangilinan, bicam panel member and Vice Chairperson of the Committee on Finance.

“Merong convergence sa expanded school-feeding, early-childhood interventions, at sa mga prinsipyo ng Sagip Saka dahil magkakaugnay ang kalusugan ng ating mga anak sa presyo ng pagkain at sa kita ng mga nagpapakain sa atin,” he added.

Sagip Saka allows government agencies to directly purchase food from local producers without public bidding.

Budget documents show funding for the Philippine Carabao Center more than doubled to ₱2.08 billion, largely driven by a ₱1.12-billion milk feeding component for Department of Education schools. The National Dairy Authority also received ₱2.38 billion, including ₱1.85 billion for the milk component of the School-Based Feeding Program.

Linking local dairy production to school feeding reflects Pangilinan’s long-standing push for outcome-focused agriculture that supports both farmers’ incomes and public health.

A joint study by the Philippine Institute for Development Studies and UNICEF Philippines revealed that one in four Filipino children is stunted due to chronic malnutrition linked to economic inequality, with rates reaching 40 percent in the poorest households.

Released last October in the book Raising the Bar: Understanding and Solving Chronic Malnutrition in the Philippines, the study showed that 24 percent of children under five—about 2.6 million—are stunted.

“Ibig sabihin ng pag-aaral, kung hindi tayo gagalaw agad-agad, 2.6 milyong batang Pilipino ang magiging mahina hindi lang sa pangangatawan kundi pati sa pag-iisip,” Pangilinan said. “Malusog ang hinaharap ng bansa kung malusog ang kabataan,” he added, noting that sustained funding and stronger coordination with health and education agencies are needed for long-term impact.