THE Senate’s proposed national nutrition program will adopt stronger anti-stunting measures after lawmakers accepted amendments introduced by Senate Minority Leader Alan Peter Cayetano to improve the early detection, monitoring, and intervention of children at risk of malnutrition.

The amendments to Senate Bill No. 2272, or the Expanded National Nutrition Program Act, were formally read during Monday’s Senate plenary session following Cayetano’s earlier interpellation on the measure.

Senate President Sherwin Gatchalian praised Cayetano’s advocacy against child stunting, while bill sponsor Senator Paulo Benigno “Bam” Aquino said the proposed changes would make the legislation much stronger.

Under the amendments, stunting will be explicitly recognized as a critical national health and education concern. The bill also adopts standardized definitions for stunting, severe acute malnutrition, and related nutrition indicators, along with a common measurement system for all implementing agencies.

The proposal establishes a National Anti-Stunting Action Plan that will prioritize communities with high rates of stunting and food insecurity for technical and financial assistance.

A Nutrition and Growth Monitoring Program will regularly track children’s height, weight or length, and other nutrition indicators to identify those who need immediate support.

Local government units will take the lead in implementation, with Barangay Health Workers, Barangay Nutrition Scholars, and other trained personnel tasked with identifying undernourished and stunted children and ensuring referral, intervention, and follow-up services.

Schools will also conduct routine height and weight measurements and nutrition assessments for school-age children as part of the expanded program.

The measure places special emphasis on the first 1,000 days of life—from conception to a child’s second birthday—and provides targeted interventions, including feeding support, complementary food, Ready-to-Use Therapeutic Food, and Vitamin A and zinc supplementation.

Cayetano said the bill should go beyond measuring stunting prevalence and instead identify the specific children who need help. He urged lawmakers to include concrete interventions wherever possible to ensure the program’s success.