SENATOR Sherwin Gatchalian flagged provinces and highly urbanized cities with high stunting rates among children under five years old, also suffering from low literacy rates.

He raised this concern during a hearing on the results of the 2024 Functional Literacy, Education, and Mass Media Survey (FLEMMS), which revealed that 18.96 million Filipinos remain functionally illiterate.

The Year 2 report of the Second Congressional Commission on Education (EDCOM 2) earlier noted that one in four Filipino children under 5 years old experiences stunting.

To address the twin challenges of stunting and illiteracy, Gatchalian urged the Department of Education, the Department of Social Welfare and Development, and the National Nutrition Council to ensure that targeted nutrition interventions complement early childhood and basic education literacy programs.

“Nutrition and literacy are closely correlated. One way to break the cycle of illiteracy is to ensure that our children receive proper nourishment. When children get the proper nutrition they need, they study better, learn better, and become functionally literate,” Gatchalian said.

He also reiterated the need to establish local literacy councils in local government units to combat illiteracy.