March 25, 2026
MANILA – The Department of Education is preparing to implement its largest School-Based Feeding Program (SBFP) to date, backed by a PhP25.6 billion allocation for School Year 2026–2027.
The expansion signals a shift from short-term intervention to sustained support. From 120 feeding days last year, the program will now cover 200 days, reaching an estimated 4.63 million learners nationwide.
To underscore the scale of the rollout, Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr., together with Education Secretary Sonny Angara, recently visited Jose Zurbito Sr. Elementary School in Masbate City, where meals were served to students as part of the program’s early implementation.
The initiative will also be brought to urban communities through a multi-service school engagement at Batasan Hills National High School in Quezon City.
Alongside feeding activities, the event will include a Serbisyo Fair for senior high school graduates, a Gulayan sa Paaralan visit, and a session on energy conservation.
The increase in funding—more than double the PhP11.8 billion allocated in 2025—supports a broader coverage strategy.
Beginning School Year 2026–2027, the SBFP will move toward universal feeding for Kindergarten to Grade 1, while continuing to target undernourished learners in Grades 2 to 6, pregnant adolescent learners, and other vulnerable groups beyond Grade 6.
The program’s expansion reflects a steady upward trajectory. From 1.67 million learners served in 2023, coverage increased to 2.11 million in 2024 and 3.39 million in 2025. Earlier iterations of the program operated on shorter cycles, including 30 feeding days in 2022 under a PhP3.3 billion budget.
Angara emphasized that the effort goes beyond addressing hunger, pointing to its role in improving attendance and classroom engagement, as observed by teachers during the president’s Masbate visit.
With the extension to 200 feeding days, the government is positioning school-based nutrition as a consistent component of the basic education system—aligned not only with health outcomes, but with sustained learning readiness. /mr