Senate President Win Gatchalian urged local government units (LGUs) to strengthen their efforts in addressing rising child stunting rates as the country observes National Nutrition Month.

Gatchalian said LGUs play a crucial role in implementing early childhood care and development programs, including nutrition interventions, in line with the Early Childhood Care and Development System Act (Republic Act No. 12199).

Citing data from the Department of Science and Technology–Food and Nutrition Research Institute (DOST-FNRI), Gatchalian noted that the country recorded its first increase in child stunting rates since 2015.

The stunting rate among Filipino children under five declined from 33.4% in 2015 to 23.6% in 2023, but increased to 25.3% in 2025, meaning about one in four Filipino children remains affected by stunting.

“Sa paglaban sa malnutrisyon, mahalaga ang papel ng ating mga komunidad, lalo na ang mga LGU, dahil sila ang pinakamalapit sa mga batang kailangang maabot at matulungan,” Gatchalian said.

The senator also highlighted government funding support for nutrition programs, including the P25.6-billion DepEd School-Based Feeding Program and the P9.26-billion DSWD Supplementary Feeding Program under the 2026 national budget.