MANILA — The Department of Education has begun implementing a broader School-Based Feeding Program for School Year 2025–2026, starting with the inclusion of all Kindergarten learners.

The program provides hot meals and fortified food products to Kindergarten and Grade 1 pupils, as well as to severely wasted and wasted learners from Grades 2 to 6 — a move supported by early gains in the field.

Previous data showed that the number of severely wasted Kindergarten children dropped from 113,451 to 47,281 in just one year.

The SBFP expansion builds on ongoing reforms, including universal feeding for all Kindergarten and Grade 1 learners and continued targeted support for severely wasted and wasted learners in Grades 2 to 6.

“Kita namin sa mga bata at sa mga kwento ng ating mga guro na mas gising, mas masigla, mas handang makinig ang mga mag-aaral basta may laman ang kanilang tiyan. Iyan ang pinaka-pruweba na gumagana ang programa,” Angara said.

“May datos at may kwento. Nakita ito ng Pangulo at nagkaisa ang Senado at Kamara,” he added. “Kapag nakikita mong bumababa ang bilang ng severely wasted, alam mong tama ang direksyon.”

For 2026, DepEd secured funding for 219 central kitchens and new mobile kitchen units and is enlisting more LGUs to manage direct implementation in their respective jurisdictions.

Angara said the 2026 budget allows DepEd to sustain the mix of universal and targeted feeding.

“Pinapalakas natin ang pundasyon sa Kinder at Grade 1, pero hindi rin natin iniiwan ang pinaka-nanganganib sa mas matataas na baitang,” he said. “Kung gusto nating manatili ang mga bata.”