On August 28, 2025, CEAP held its CEAP Special Learning Session 14 entitled “Feed the Future: Responding to the Crisis in Nutrition and Early Childhood Development” via Zoom. The session placed the spotlight on the urgent issue of malnutrition and its long-term impact on the learning outcomes and overall development of Filipino children.
The program opened with a prayer led by the CEAP Advocacy and Public Engagement Unit, followed by Mr. Narcy F. Ador Dionisio, CEAP Executive Director, who delivered the opening remarks. He emphasized that schools must be centers of both health and hope, playing a critical role in addressing the needs of children beyond the classroom.
The keynote presentation was delivered by Ms. Gayl Porter-Laurel, Chief Technical and Policy Officer of the Second Congressional Commission on Education (EDCOM II). She emphasized the urgent reality that many Filipino children are already falling behind at the very start of their lives because of poor nutrition and weak foundations in early learning. Alarming data reveal that one in every four children in the country is stunted, caused by chronic undernutrition during the first 1,000 days of life. Stunting, she explained, has irreversible effects on brain development and significantly hinders literacy, numeracy, and overall academic performance. This, she stressed, is not just about food—it is about the future and dignity of every Filipino child.
Ms. Porter-Laurel also underscored the importance of fixing the foundations by prioritizing nutrition, early childhood education, literacy, and numeracy in the primary years, teacher quality, and school leadership. She called for stronger collaboration among government, private schools, and local communities to ensure every Filipino child has the opportunity to learn, grow, and thrive.
The open forum, moderated by Ms. Charina Claustro, CEAP Advocacy and Public Engagement Officer, provided a venue for participants to reflect on the challenges and propose ways schools and communities can contribute to improving children’s nutrition and early development. Questions focused on sustainable interventions, the role of schools in promoting healthy practices, and the need for collective action.
The session concluded with a reminder that addressing malnutrition is an education issue as much as it is a health concern. Ensuring that children are well-nourished during their earliest years is key to securing their readiness to learn, their future productivity, and the nation’s development.
Through this session, CEAP reaffirmed its commitment to be part of the solution—engaging schools, partners, and families in the shared mission to “feed the future” and build a generation of healthy, capable, and hopeful Filipino learners.