EDCOM 2: Address rising stunting rate

MANILA, Philippines — The Second Congressional Commission on Education or EDCOM 2 has asked the National Nutrition Council (NNC) to address the rising prevalence of stunting among children.

Karol Mark Yee, EDCOM 2 executive director, said government targets must be anchored to the problems the state recognizes and not on indicators that let agencies claim success on paper, even as the condition of Filipino children keeps worsening.

Yee was referring to the target the NNC has set under the National Expenditure Program, wherein 20 percent of local government units (LGUs) must meet the minimum score under the Seal of Quality Nutrition Program.

But Yee said the NNC has already reported a compliance rate of 96.16 percent, even as the national stunting prevalence continues to climb.

“This presents a conflicting picture of an agency seemingly overachieving its original target, while in reality, stunting is worsening,” Yee said.

Based on the June 2025 survey of the Department of Science and Technology-Food and Nutrition Research Institute, the stunting rate of children below five years old had reached 25.3 percent, up from 23.6 percent in 2023 – the first national increase in over a decade.