THREE business groups sought increased investments in education and nutrition to further propel the country’s economic growth.

The Philippine Business for Education, Philippine Business for Social Progress and Makati Business Club bared their plans of action to achieve shared prosperity through policy reforms in nutrition and education.

“Investing in the nutrition and education of our youth is an economic imperative. We need to build strong human capital to drive productivity and inclusive economic growth,” Dr. Chito Salazar, president of PBEd, said.

Data from the World Bank and UNICEF showed that nutrition and education in the country is in deep crisis, worsened by the pandemic and runaway inflation. Decades before the pandemic, a third of Filipino children below age five are stunted or too short for their age.

On the other hand, according to the World Bank, a Filipino child with optimal nutrition will have greater cognitive development, stay longer and learn more in school, and have a brighter future as an adult.

PBSP called for policies that will guarantee access to safe, affordable, and nutritious food, as well as the expansion of economic opportunities for vulnerable households, particularly for at-risk mothers and children. To ensure food security, farmers must also be empowered with resources and technology towards improved yield, efficiency, and resilience.

“What businesses can do in addressing poverty is to provide jobs. It is incumbent upon businesses to raise their investments because more jobs bring more income to people. Businesses must also make a serious effort in investing in agriculture. Our role is to enable our people to feed themselves and send their kids to school,” PBSP Chairman Manuel V. Pangilinan said.

The PBEd, meanwhile,  stressed the need to address learning poverty, in light of the result of the 2018 Program for International Student Assessment that showed the Philippines performing poorest out of 79 countries in reading, and second-lowest in mathematics and science.

“This is why we need to take our learning crisis seriously. If we want learning for all, we should commit to “all for learning.” We implore our new administration to make effective learning a serious goal in its first 100 days. In drawing up their all-inclusive plan for economic transformation, I call on them to make investment in our human capital their first order of business,” PBEd Chairman Ramon R. del Rosario Jr. said.

Some of the key strategies that PBEd proposed include ensuring all learners have access to quality pre-Kindergarten to Grade 3 education and developmental programs such as daycare, tutorials or remediation and year-long feeding programs.

To make sure that all learners meet basic skills based on international standards, teacher quality must also be improved through better teacher training and support. Adults also need access to lifelong learning opportunities to stay competitive.

The three groups put forward an all-hands-on-deck approach to make the system work “for our current and future learners and workforce so that they can live a prosperous life and contribute to national economic recovery and development.”

“We need to shock our country about this crisis, to give a sense of urgency which will mobilize all sectors of society. There is no other country that has done so much during the pandemic as our civil society has done. Together with the government, national and local, business sectors, and the church, we will succeed in overcoming this crisis,” MBC Chairman Edgar O. Chua said.