THE SENATE Committee on Finance has approved additional funds to expand the Department of Education’s School-Based Feeding Program and the Department of Social Welfare and Development’s Supplementary Feeding Program.

This was confirmed by Senator Sherwin Gatchalian after the Senate approved the proposed 2026 National Budget on second reading.

The School-Based Feeding Program will receive an additional ₱15.06 billion, on top of the ₱13.61 billion allotted under the General Appropriations Bill.

The ₱28.67 billion total allocation is expected to benefit 4.8 million learners and will allow the program to run for the full 200-day school year.

The funds will cover all Kindergarten and Grade 1 learners, while continuing support for wasted and severely wasted learners from Grades 2 to 6.

Meanwhile, the Supplementary Feeding Program will get an additional ₱3.3 billion, on top of the ₱3.32 billion under the GAB.

The increased funding will extend the number of feeding days from 120 to 180, benefiting more than 1.8 million children below five years old in Child Development Centers.