Child feeding programs have been a longstanding initiative, but there appears to be a growing awareness and commitment to execute them effectively. It seems that we are collectively recognizing that many of the issues plaguing our society, including human, social, economic, political, and cultural challenges, can be traced back to the inadequate health and nutrition of our children, both in the past and present. This problem has persisted for generations and is particularly severe in our country compared to our neighboring nations. While education often shoulders the blame, especially given our low rankings in global education indicators and average IQ, I have consistently argued that the root cause lies in malnourishment and hunger among children.
The critical issue is that 90 percent of brain development occurs before the age of 5, and a child who is severely underfed during this crucial period experiences stunted growth, both physically and mentally. In the 1980s, this affliction affected nearly half of Filipino children below the age of 5, and today it still affects about one-third of children, which is higher than in most neighboring countries. Despite our efforts to improve schools and teachers, the impact of educational reforms will be limited if a significant portion of our children suffers from impaired learning abilities, cognitive skills, memory, and intelligence due to early childhood stunting. Therefore, addressing early childhood hunger and malnutrition should be our top priority.
The President has rightfully pledged to eliminate hunger among Filipinos by the end of his term, and we sincerely hope that this is not just empty rhetoric but a lasting legacy for our nation. The call to action is to prioritize the feeding of our youngest children, which includes pregnant and breastfeeding mothers. Over the years, those who have worked tirelessly in this field have gained valuable insights that can guide future endeavors. Firstly, while school feeding programs are beneficial, they often come too late as stunting needs to be addressed before children reach school age. Peru, for example, has made significant progress against stunting by refocusing their efforts on feeding children below school age.
Secondly, merely providing food to children is not sufficient; it must be accompanied by regular monitoring of their weight and height to track progress and ensure their growth is normalized. This monitoring should be conducted using accurate and calibrated weighing scales, rather than unreliable multipurpose or bathroom scales. During a weighing and height-taking session, I noticed that children often struggled and cried, which likely affected the accuracy of the measurements. One observer suggested “gamifying” the process, a brilliant idea that could eliminate the children’s distress and improve efficiency and accuracy.
In addition to feeding programs, there are often initiatives to encourage parents and local communities to grow their own food, with community gardens often being the go-to solution. However, seasoned practitioners have frequently expressed that community gardens tend to be ineffective. It seems that it is challenging for individuals to voluntarily contribute to a collective effort, and there will always be individuals who take advantage and steal from the harvest, even in broad daylight. A more successful approach has been to encourage individual households to cultivate their own backyard plots or utilize vertical containers. Advancement for Rural Kids (ARK) has implemented an interesting twist to this approach by introducing a vegetable exchange program. Participating families are asked to cultivate their backyards and contribute three of their favorite vegetables in exchange for a fair share of over 20 vegetables grown by their neighbors. ARK has reported a positive track record in terms of program sustainability.
Groups working towards similar goals should communicate, learn from each other, and provide support. By collaborating, they can collectively achieve far greater outcomes than they could individually. It is essential for this work to continue and expand, as early childhood hunger and malnutrition deserve our utmost attention and commitment.
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