PHINMA Education is extending its mission of making lives better beyond its schools by championing maternal and child nutrition through its First 1,000 Days (F1KD) program, which supports underserved families living around its campuses.

The F1KD program provides holistic support for mothers and children during the crucial period from conception to a child’s second birthday—a window proven to shape lifelong health, learning capacity, and overall well-being.

“When malnutrition strikes in the first 1,000 days, the damage is often irreversible. This short window determines whether a child will thrive or face lifelong challenges,” PHINMA Education President and CEO Chito Salazar said.

According to Nutrition International, stunting affects 3.4 million Filipino children under five, with poor nutrition reducing workforce productivity and costing the economy US$8.5 billion (₱496 billion) annually.

Through the F1KD Initiative, PHINMA Education schools reach out to neighboring communities as caring partners, helping families build healthier beginnings. Students, faculty, and staff come together to offer hands-on support through home visits, maternal checkups, nutrition education sessions, and breastfeeding and family planning seminars—ensuring that mothers receive steady care, guidance, and encouragement.

The initiative is currently implemented in adopted barangays across seven PHINMA Education schools located in Quezon City, Iloilo City, Cebu City, Pangasinan, Nueva Ecija, Laguna, and Cagayan de Oro.

“We want our schools to be good neighbors to the communities around us,” Salazar said. “By working with families in the first 1,000 days, we help lay the foundation for healthier, stronger communities.”

The F1KD program unites the collective efforts of PHINMA Education students, faculty, and staff. Nursing students conduct prenatal education sessions, psychology students provide psychosocial support, tourism and hospitality management students prepare nutritious meals, while criminology students, scholars, and student council leaders assist in feeding programs, health monitoring, and other maternal care activities.

Schools also conduct capacity-building sessions with barangays and local government offices to sustain the movement—developing proactive health campaigns, monitoring systems, and long-term community partnerships.

To date, the program has served 90 pregnant mothers, resulting in the birth of 74 healthy babies meeting the World Health Organization’s reference standards for weight (above 2.5 kg) and length (above 46 cm). Sixteen mothers are still expecting.

“If we don’t act, an entire generation will grow up stunted—in body, mind, and future. This isn’t just a health issue—it’s also an education issue,” Salazar said.