SENATE Minority Leader Alan Peter Cayetano renewed his call for stronger monitoring and targeted government interventions to combat child stunting, urging authorities to improve how they identify children and families most in need of assistance.

Cayetano made the appeal during his interpellation on Senate Bill No. 2272, or the proposed Expanded National Nutrition Program Act, one of the 24 priority measures identified by the Legislative-Executive Development Advisory Council (LEDAC) for the 20th Congress.

Citing data showing that one in four Filipino children is stunted, Cayetano questioned whether the government’s current monitoring system is sufficient to pinpoint children who require immediate nutritional intervention.

He noted that existing surveys largely rely on random sampling to measure the prevalence of stunting but argued that such an approach does not identify the specific children, households, and communities that need direct assistance.

“You can’t keep applying old solutions to new problems even if your new problem is also an old problem,” Cayetano said.

The senator stressed that effective intervention requires identifying where vulnerable children live and understanding their living conditions, rather than relying solely on statistical estimates.

Cayetano also proposed intensified government action in communities with stunting rates of 30 percent or higher, saying these areas should be given greater priority and more targeted nutrition programs.

During the deliberations, he likewise raised concerns over PhilHealth coverage for ordinary stunting cases and urged lawmakers to clearly define which interventions can already be implemented under the bill, while allowing agencies to further study provisions requiring additional details.

He also advocated closer coordination among government agencies, clearer definitions of nutrition-related terms, and stronger nutrition education for parents and children.

Despite his proposed amendments, Cayetano expressed full support for the measure, saying it has the potential to become a transformative law that advances child health and nutrition.

“I really support this bill. I really like it when bills evolve into transformative measures rather than just reactionary… when you talk about the future, you talk about the children,” he said.