Pulilan: President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. on Wednesday spearheaded the nationwide expansion of the School-Based Feeding Program (SBFP), emphasizing the government's commitment to eliminating hunger as an impediment to education by ensuring that more public school students receive nutritious meals. According to Philippines News Agency, the President inaugurated the national rollout of the SBFP and Milk Feeding Activity at Pulilan Central School in Bulacan. Marcos highlighted the decision to broaden the program after acknowledging that hunger impacts a greater number of students than previously addressed. During his address, Marcos remarked on the significance of the initiative, stating, "This is very significant because we know that one reason children cannot study well is hunger." He further emphasized the administration's resolve to remove this barrier, ensuring that children attending school would not have to worry about their meals, as the government would provide both assistance and nourishment. The e xpanded program aims to include all Kindergarten and Grade 1 students nationwide, shifting away from the previous method of selecting participants based on assessments. Marcos underscored the program's simultaneous countrywide implementation to guarantee that no student studies on an empty stomach. Additionally, the President mentioned the program's broader impact on tackling child malnutrition and stunting, while fostering a reliable market for local farmers and food producers. The initiative prioritizes procurement from local sources, avoiding large grocery chains, thereby securing a steady market for local products used in the feeding program. The feeding program represents the Department of Education's (DepEd) primary nutrition intervention, executed under Republic Act 11037, known as the Masustansyang Pagkain para sa Batang Pilipino Act. For the School Year 2026-2027, the program will implement universal feeding for all Kindergarten and Grade 1 learners nationwide and continue supporting learners in Gr ades 2 to 6 identified as wasted or severely wasted, alongside other eligible beneficiaries under DepEd nutrition initiatives. The launch also included the serving of hot meals and the signing of a Joint Administrative Order between DepEd and the Department of Agriculture to enhance program implementation. According to DepEd, the expanded initiative aims to mitigate hunger and malnutrition, improve school participation and learning outcomes, and promote the overall health and development of Filipino learners. Pulilan Central School alone has more than 775 beneficiaries for this school year.