Students' nutrition also an education concern, says advocacy group

Jaehwa Bernardo, ABS-CBN News

<div class='embed-wrap'><figure data-feedback='fb:likes,fb:comments'><img alt='Students at Ilaya Barangka Integrated School in Mandaluyong prepare to attend activities on National Students’ Day, Nov. 17, 2022. George Calvelo, ABS-CBN News/File' src='https://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2023/news/01/31/20221117-national-students-day-gc-1066.jpg' ><figcaption>Students at Ilaya Barangka Integrated School in Mandaluyong prepare to attend activities on National Students’ Day, Nov. 17, 2022. <em>George Calvelo, ABS-CBN News/File</em></figcaption></figure></div><p>MANILA — While Vice President and Education Secretary Sara Duterte's report identified several challenges in the country's basic education system, it failed to tackle students' nutrition, an issue that affects their learning abilities, an advocacy group said Tuesday.</p><p>"Maybe something that wasn't really talked about yesterday but I think should be raised is that many students — and it's really required [to have a] whole-of-government approach — many learners come to school undernourished," Justine Raagas, executive director for the Philippine Business for Education (PBED), said in an interview with the ABS-CBN News Channel.</p><p>Raagas was referring to Duterte's Basic Education Report, which enumerated the multiple issues hounding the country's basic education system as well as the Department of Education's (DepEd) plans to address them.</p><ul class='op-related-articles'>	<li><a href='https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/01/30/23/sara-duterte-bares-plans-to-address-basic-education-problems'>Sara Duterte bares plans to address problems in basic education</a></li></ul><p>According to Ragas, 1 out of 3 five-year-olds in the Philippines "are actually stunted and that's a problem that begins earlier on in life."</p><p>"If you have students who come to school malnourished, undernourished, stunted, their cognitive abilities are not as good as other kids," said Raagas, whose group includes education reform advocates from the business sector.</p><p>"You can put the best teachers in the classroom, you can fix all the classrooms but a student won't absorb the lessons that are taught. So that's (nutrition) also a challenge that I think should be brought into the limelight," she added.</p><ul class='op-related-articles'>	<li><a href='https://news.abs-cbn.com/spotlight/11/15/22/nutrition-food-insecurity-a-public-health-problem-study'>Stunting, underweight, overweight, food insecurity remain public health problems: study</a></li></ul><p>While Duterte did not mention nutrition in her speech, the DepEd is implementing the School-Based Feeding Program, which provides free hot meals and milk to students.</p><figure class='op-interactive'><iframe allow='autoplay; fullscreen' frameborder='0' height='100%' id='ivsplayer01' scrolling='no' src='https://player.ivideosmart.com/ivsplayer/v4/dist/html/iframe-src.html?iframeid=ivsplayer01&key=e8c22c015ca9eafa76f1e3edfa03c603&spid=3001339&vid=2442123' width='100%'></iframe></figure><div class='iwantbar'>Watch more News on <a href='https://www.iwanttfc.com/#!/browse/Genres/News/tag_id_genres/id_news' target='_blank'>iWantTFC</a></div><p>During the Basic Education Report, Duterte also launched the "MATATAG" agenda, which would serve as the DepEd's roadmap to resolve issues plaguing the basic education sector under her 6-year term.</p><p>PBED considers the agenda "a very welcome development" to address what it considers an education "crisis" in the country, said Raagas.</p><p>Raagas said the "MATATAG" agenda "comes at a very opportune time," especially since a congressional body is also reviewing the whole education system.</p><p>"[The] efforts that the DepEd can take in the next 6 years, given its agenda, can also be guided by reports and recommendations that the EDCOM (Congressional Commission on Education) can bring," she said.</p><ul class='op-related-articles'>	<li><a href='https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/01/04/23/congressional-body-to-begin-review-of-education-sector'>Congressional body to begin review of PH education this month: Gatchalian</a></li></ul><p>The Alliance of Concerned Teachers (ACT), meanwhile, praised the DepEd for publicly admitting "the undeniably dismal state of the basic education system."</p><p>But the group said the issues mentioned in the report were the same ones raised by other research groups, such as the World Bank and United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund (UNICEF).</p><ul class='op-related-articles'>	<li><a href='https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/04/04/22/global-report-bares-filipino-kids-poor-learning-skills'>Less than 15 pct of Filipino kids can read simple text at age 10: UNICEF</a></li></ul><p>In a statement, ACT described the report as "a summary of the promises already articulated by [Vice President] Duterte’s leadership in the past months."</p><p>"Unfortunately, majority of which remained to be general promises that lack specific action plans and definite targets," it said.</p><p>The group said it would follow up on Duterte's commitments to teachers, which includes helping educators face issues related to loans and the Government Service Insurance System.</p><p><strong>RELATED VIDEO</strong></p><figure class='op-interactive'><iframe allow='autoplay; fullscreen' frameborder='0' height='100%' id='ivsplayer01' scrolling='no' src='https://player.ivideosmart.com/ivsplayer/v4/dist/html/iframe-src.html?iframeid=ivsplayer01&key=e8c22c015ca9eafa76f1e3edfa03c603&spid=3001339&vid=2441472' width='100%'></iframe></figure><div class='iwantbar'>Watch more News on <a href='https://www.iwanttfc.com/#!/browse/Genres/News/tag_id_genres/id_news' target='_blank'>iWantTFC</a></div>

<ul class='op-related-articles'>	<li><a href='https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/01/30/23/sara-duterte-bares-plans-to-address-basic-education-problems'>Sara Duterte bares plans to address problems in basic education</a></li></ul><p>According to Ragas, 1 out of 3 five-year-olds in the Philippines "are actually stunted and that's a problem that begins earlier on in life."</p><p>"If you have students who come to school malnourished, undernourished, stunted, their cognitive abilities are not as good as other kids," said Raagas, whose group includes education reform advocates from the business sector.</p><p>"You can put the best teachers in the classroom, you can fix all the classrooms but a student won't absorb the lessons that are taught. So that's (nutrition) also a challenge that I think should be brought into the limelight," she added.</p><ul class='op-related-articles'>	<li><a href='https://news.abs-cbn.com/spotlight/11/15/22/nutrition-food-insecurity-a-public-health-problem-study'>Stunting, underweight, overweight, food insecurity remain public health problems: study</a></li></ul><p>While Duterte did not mention nutrition in her speech, the DepEd is implementing the School-Based Feeding Program, which provides free hot meals and milk to students.</p><figure class='op-interactive'><iframe allow='autoplay; fullscreen' frameborder='0' height='100%' id='ivsplayer01' scrolling='no' src='https://player.ivideosmart.com/ivsplayer/v4/dist/html/iframe-src.html?iframeid=ivsplayer01&key=e8c22c015ca9eafa76f1e3edfa03c603&spid=3001339&vid=2442123' width='100%'></iframe></figure><div class='iwantbar'>Watch more News on <a href='https://www.iwanttfc.com/#!/browse/Genres/News/tag_id_genres/id_news' target='_blank'>iWantTFC</a></div><p>During the Basic Education Report, Duterte also launched the "MATATAG" agenda, which would serve as the DepEd's roadmap to resolve issues plaguing the basic education sector under her 6-year term.</p><p>PBED considers the agenda "a very welcome development" to address what it considers an education "crisis" in the country, said Raagas.</p><p>Raagas said the "MATATAG" agenda "comes at a very opportune time," especially since a congressional body is also reviewing the whole education system.</p><p>"[The] efforts that the DepEd can take in the next 6 years, given its agenda, can also be guided by reports and recommendations that the EDCOM (Congressional Commission on Education) can bring," she said.</p><ul class='op-related-articles'>	<li><a href='https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/01/04/23/congressional-body-to-begin-review-of-education-sector'>Congressional body to begin review of PH education this month: Gatchalian</a></li></ul><p>The Alliance of Concerned Teachers (ACT), meanwhile, praised the DepEd for publicly admitting "the undeniably dismal state of the basic education system."</p><p>But the group said the issues mentioned in the report were the same ones raised by other research groups, such as the World Bank and United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund (UNICEF).</p><ul class='op-related-articles'>	<li><a href='https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/04/04/22/global-report-bares-filipino-kids-poor-learning-skills'>Less than 15 pct of Filipino kids can read simple text at age 10: UNICEF</a></li></ul><p>In a statement, ACT described the report as "a summary of the promises already articulated by [Vice President] Duterte’s leadership in the past months."</p><p>"Unfortunately, majority of which remained to be general promises that lack specific action plans and definite targets," it said.</p><p>The group said it would follow up on Duterte's commitments to teachers, which includes helping educators face issues related to loans and the Government Service Insurance System.</p><p><strong>RELATED VIDEO</strong></p><figure class='op-interactive'><iframe allow='autoplay; fullscreen' frameborder='0' height='100%' id='ivsplayer01' scrolling='no' src='https://player.ivideosmart.com/ivsplayer/v4/dist/html/iframe-src.html?iframeid=ivsplayer01&key=e8c22c015ca9eafa76f1e3edfa03c603&spid=3001339&vid=2441472' width='100%'></iframe></figure><div class='iwantbar'>Watch more News on <a href='https://www.iwanttfc.com/#!/browse/Genres/News/tag_id_genres/id_news' target='_blank'>iWantTFC</a></div>

<p>"Maybe something that wasn't really talked about yesterday but I think should be raised is that many students — and it's really required [to have a] whole-of-government approach — many learners come to school undernourished," Justine Raagas, executive director for the Philippine Business for Education (PBED), said in an interview with the ABS-CBN News Channel.</p><p>Raagas was referring to Duterte's Basic Education Report, which enumerated the multiple issues hounding the country's basic education system as well as the Department of Education's (DepEd) plans to address them.</p>

<div class='embed-wrap'><figure data-feedback='fb:likes,fb:comments'><img alt='Students at Ilaya Barangka Integrated School in Mandaluyong prepare to attend activities on National Students’ Day, Nov. 17, 2022. George Calvelo, ABS-CBN News/File' src='https://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2023/news/01/31/20221117-national-students-day-gc-1066.jpg' ><figcaption>Students at Ilaya Barangka Integrated School in Mandaluyong prepare to attend activities on National Students’ Day, Nov. 17, 2022. <em>George Calvelo, ABS-CBN News/File</em></figcaption></figure></div><p>MANILA — While Vice President and Education Secretary Sara Duterte's report identified several challenges in the country's basic education system, it failed to tackle students' nutrition, an issue that affects their learning abilities, an advocacy group said Tuesday.</p>

PBED said the government must also address students' nutrition issues, which affects their learning.

Students' nutrition also an education concern, says advocacy group | ABS-CBN News

News

News

Students' nutrition also an education concern, says advocacy group

Students' nutrition also an education concern, says advocacy group