High child stunting rate in PH drives PHINMA to boost care

Insider Spotlight

• 3.4M Filipino kids under five suffer from stunting due to poor nutrition
• Malnutrition costs the Philippine economy $8.5B yearly in lost productivity
• PHINMA Education’s First 1,000 Days program targets this crisis head-on
• The initiative spans 7 schools nationwide, reaching neighboring barangays
• Students, faculty, and LGUs collaborate on maternal and child health
  

Malnutrition is silently crippling the Philippines. Today, 3.4 million Filipino children under five are stunted—too short for their age due to chronic undernutrition. 

The long-term costs? A weaker workforce, lost productivity, and an economic drain of $8.5 billion (P496 billion) annually, according to Nutrition International.

The first 1,000 days

PHINMA Education president and CEO Chito Salazar, in a press release, stressed that “when malnutrition strikes in the first 1,000 days, the damage is often irreversible. This short window determines whether a child will thrive or face lifelong challenges.” 

Science backs this up: the period from pregnancy until a child’s second birthday determines brain growth, school readiness, and even earning potential later in life.

What PHINMA is doing

Through its First 1,000 Days (F1KD) program, PHINMA Education is mobilizing its students, teachers, and staff to support mothers and children in nearby communities. 

Nursing students conduct prenatal classes, psychology students provide emotional support, hospitality majors prepare nutritious meals, while criminology and student council leaders run feeding drives. It’s a whole-of-school movement blending academics with grassroots action.

“We want our schools to be good neighbors to the communities around us,” Salazar said. “By working with families in the first 1,000 days, we help lay the foundation for healthier, stronger communities.”

Scale and impact

Currently rolled out in seven PHINMA schools across Quezon City, Iloilo, Cebu, Pangasinan, Nueva Ecija, Laguna, and Cagayan de Oro, the program has already served 90 mothers and welcomed 74 babies born healthy and strong at WHO standards. Another 16 mothers are still expecting—proof that targeted interventions can change outcomes at the household level.

Why it matters

“This isn’t just a health issue—it’s also an education issue, an economic issue, and a poverty cycle we can break if we act early enough,” said Heide Foulc, F1KD Program lead. For families living near PHINMA campuses, the program doesn’t just mean healthier babies—it signals a shot at a more productive workforce, reduced healthcare costs, and stronger communities.

The bigger picture

By turning its campuses into community anchors, PHINMA shows that education can power nation-building from the ground up. It’s a reminder that fighting malnutrition isn’t charity—it’s an investment in the Philippines’ future competitiveness. —Princess Daisy C. Ominga |Ed: Corrie S. Narisma