EDITORIAL - Undernourished

In less-privileged households, the food is normally better during the Christmas season, when charities are active with gift-giving and feeding programs in low-income communities. But throughout most of the rest of the year, millions of Filipino children suffer from poor nutrition, according to health records.

Education statistics show that in the elementary level alone, an estimated 1.8 million students suffer from undernourishment. The Department of Education recorded 544,931 “severely wasted” and 1,312,935 “wasted” students in public elementary schools nationwide. To address the problem, DepEd officials have approved the implementation of the second tranche of a P1.4-billion school-feeding program.

The official statistics track results of regular surveys conducted on the incidence of hunger. In the second quarter of the year, self-rated hunger went down to a 10-year low of 12.7 percent, but it went up to 15.7 percent in the third quarter survey. That’s about 3.5 million families experiencing involuntary hunger.

A report earlier this year said nutrition plays a key role in human body development. A steady diet of milk, beef and potatoes can help produce athletes seven feet tall. But the lack of sufficient nutrients affects not only physical growth but also the development of the mind. Innovation and national competitiveness tend to be enhanced when citizens are properly nourished, especially in their formative years.

School feeding programs, which boost the nutrients that are often lacking in humble meals, have helped school children. But hunger and undernourishment generally go hand in hand with poverty. As long as 40 percent of the population remains below the poverty line, undernourishment will persist.