Two administration senatorial candidates proposed Monday free healthy meals in all schools and amendments to the Free Tertiary Education Law.
Senatorial candidate and outgoing Makati City Mayor Abby Binay has raised the need for free healthy snacks and meals in schools to address malnutrition which affects students’ academic performance.
“Napaka-importante ng wastong nutrisyon para makapag-aral nang mabuti ang mga estudyante. Kahit anong galing magturo ng kanilang mga guro at kahit may sapat silang kagamitan sa pag-aaral, mahihirapan silang ma-absorb ang mga leksyon kung nagugutom sila at kulang sa nutrisyon,” Binay said in a statement.
(Proper nutrition is extremely important for students so they can study effectively. No matter how skilled their teachers are or how sufficient their learning resources may be, they will struggle to absorb lessons if they are hungry and lacking in nutrition.)
For Binay, addressing malnutrition should be prioritized than providing gadgets for public school learners.
“Sa basics lang muna tayo. Unahin natin ang kalusugan ng ating mga kabataan bago pa man tayo mamigay ng mga tablet o computer. Hindi rin magiging epektibo ang pagtatayo ng modernong school buildings kung hindi agad na matutugunan ang mga problema sa malnutrition tulad ng stunting at wasting sa ating mga mag-aaral,” Binay said.
(Let’s start with the basics. We should prioritize the health of our youth before distributing tablets or computers. Building modern school facilities will also be ineffective if we do not promptly address issues like malnutrition, such as stunting and wasting, among our students.)
“The malnutrition problem requires a multi-stakeholder approach. Government at the national and local levels, including the barangays, and the private sector should synchronize their efforts to be able to sustain large-scale initiatives, such as a nationwide feeding program,” she added.
Binay then cited Makati City’s Project FEED (Food for Excellent Education and Development) where free nutritious snacks were given to students in public elementary schools in the city.
In line with this, the senatorial bet also mentioned the need to raise awareness, especially among mothers, on the importance of proper nutrition starting from conception.
Meanwhile, former Senator Panfilo “Ping” Lacson, who is eyeing a Senate comeback in Eleksyon 2025, said he will revisit the Free Tertiary Education Act to streamline its procedures.
Lacson said this plan was based on information that applicants are having difficulty meeting the requirements for it.
“We will revisit the Free Tertiary Education Act and streamline it if needed. If the information is true that many requirements are imposed on applicants, it indicates the program does not want beneficiaries. The requirements may need to be simplified,” Lacson was quoted as saying.
“The law decrees that it be simple. Could it be that the implementing rules are complicated? We must revisit it and if needed, make the needed amendments. So we will visit the Free Tertiary Education Act,” he added.
While he plans to revisit the law, Lacson underscored that the exams to qualify for free college education must be competitive to prevent abuse.
If the exams are not competitive, Lacson said anyone with connections to some politicians can be made beneficiaries of the free tertiary education law, without being motivated to study well.
“If they become beneficiaries through that route, they are likely to keep failing because they are not motivated to study well,” he said. — RSJ, GMA Integrated News
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