Senator Lito Lapid has filed Senate Bill No. 1231 which seeks to ban junk food and sugary drinks in public schools.

Recognizing that a healthful diet plays an important role in learning and cognitive development, Lapid has filed the Bill to address child obesity and malnutrition.

Lapid’s bill likewise aims to prohibit the sale, distribution, and promotion of junk food and sugary drinks inside and 100 meters from the perimeter of all public educational institutions.

The senator believes that if students have access to food with high nutritional value, then their health will improve as well as their performance in school. On the other hand, he said that, according to studies, children who do not get adequate nutrients encounter learning difficulties, resulting in lower academic test scores.