EDCOM 2 Urges NNC to Tackle Rising Child Stunting Rate

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippines is grappling with an alarming increase in the stunting rate among children under five years old, which has climbed to 25.3 percent. This marks the first national surge in this critical health indicator in over a decade, up from 23.6 percent recorded in 2023. The Second Congressional Commission on Education (EDCOM 2) has taken note of this deteriorating situation and has formally requested the National Nutrition Council (NNC) to intensify its efforts to combat the rising prevalence of stunting. Karol Mark Yee, the Executive Director of EDCOM 2, has voiced concerns regarding the current approach to setting and measuring success in nutrition programs. He argued that government targets should be directly tied to the actual problems the nation faces, rather than relying on indicators that may allow agencies to report superficial achievements while the underlying conditions persist or worsen. Yee specifically pointed to the NNC's reported compliance rate of 96.16 percent for its targets under the National Expenditure Program, particularly concerning the Seal of Quality Nutrition Program for local government units (LGUs). He described this high compliance rate, juxtaposed with the escalating stunting rates, as presenting a "conflicting picture of an agency seemingly overachieving its original target, while in reality, stunting is worsening." The data substantiating this concern comes from the June 2025 survey conducted by the Department of Science and Technology-Food and Nutrition Research Institute (DOST-FNRI). This survey confirmed the upward trend in stunting among children below five years old. Stunting, defined as impaired growth and development that children experience from prolonged or recurrent undernutrition, has far-reaching consequences. It can lead to irreversible cognitive impairments, increased susceptibility to infections, and reduced economic productivity later in life. The rising trend in the Philippines signals a potential long-term setback for the nation's human capital development. Information Source: Philstar Nation