TWENTIETH CONGRESS OF THE 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES
First Regular Session
S. B. No.
416
25 JUL 10 P5 58
RECEIVED BY:
INTRODUCED BY SENATOR ALAN PETER “COMPANERO” S. CAYETANO
AN ACT
ESTABLISHING THE ANTI-STUNTING ACTION PLAN (ASAP) 
COUNCIL IN THE PHILIPPINES, DEFINING ITS POWERS AND 
FUNCTIONS, APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREFOR, AND FOR
OTHER PURPOSES
EXPLANATORY NOTE
The Bible tells us in Isaiah 58:10, "If you pour yourself out for the hungry 
and satisfy the desire of the afflicted, then shall your light rise in the darkness...”
One of the critical issues identified by the Second Congressional 
Commission on Education (EDCOM II) in early care and development in the 
country is the high prevalence of stunting among Filipino children. One in four 
Filipino children under 5 years old are stunted, according to its Year 2 report.1 
While the percentage of children who are considered small for their age has 
decreased from 31.9% in 2012 to 28.8% a decade later in 2022, progress on 
addressing stunting has been dismal, with the current stunting prevalence rate 
being below the ASEAN average of 30.1%, but still higher than the global 
average of 22.3%.
The current situation runs contrary to the clear mandates of the 1987 
Constitution for the State to "protect and promote the right to health of the people 
and instill health consciousness among them" and promote “the right of children 
to proper care and nutrition.” Indeed, as part of honoring God and building 
communities through good governance, the State must address child stunting 
not only as a moral and public health imperative, but as a foundational step 
toward genuine national transformation. Proper interventions for stunting lay the 
groundwork for a healthier, more capable population - one that can fully 
participate in nation-building.
The urgency of this problem cannot be overstated. According to research, 
the costs of stunting, especially during the first two years of a child’s life, are
1 EDCOM II (2024). Fixing the Foundations, A Matter of National Survival. Retrieved from: 
https://edcom2.gov.ph/media/2025/01/EDCOM-2-Year-2-Report-Fixing-the-Foundations-2025.pdf
1


very high.2 Apart from lifelong impacts such as weakened immune systems, 
reduced brain development, lower academic performance, poor self-esteem, 
and delayed social development,3 a high prevalence of stunted children erodes 
the human potential, productivity and economic growth of countries.4
As defined by the World Health Organization (WHO),5 stunting is the 
impaired growth and development that children experience from poor nutrition, 
repeated infection, and inadequate psychosocial stimulation. It is found to be 
irreversible; once a child is stunted, the effects last a lifetime.6
Other countries have recognized the gravity of this issue and have taken 
decisive actions to combat stunting. For example, Singapore, where the stunting 
prevalence is only 3%, implements a comprehensive ‘foundation of support’ for 
early childhood care and development, specifically targeting children from low- 
income families from pregnancy to age three.7 Thailand, with 11.8% stunting 
prevalence, adopted a multi-sectoral approach that was rapidly scaled up to 
reach vulnerable populations nationwide.8 Meanwhile, the Philippines continues 
to grapple with nutrition challenges due to lack of program convergence and 
targeting mechanism for nutritionally at-risk children, fragmented governance, 
and insufficient investment in childhood care and development, particularly 
during the critical first years of life.9 To date, millions of Filipino children remain 
chronically malnourished.
However, all is not lost, and we can still save our children, and a child 
named Florencio is a testament to this. Florencio was born to a family of five 
children being raised by a father who works in construction taking home a 
meager Php 280 a day. Like many impoverished families, Florencio’s parents 
thought that Florencio’s small and thin frame was normal. But alas, when 
Florencio developed a persistent cough and fever, he was diagnosed with 
severe malnutrition. Fortunately, targeted intervention and provision of 
therapeutic food allowed the small, malnourished child to make a full recovery 
and regain a healthy nutritional status.
The proposed Anti-Stunting Action Pian (ASAP) Council Act of 2025 aims 
to immediately halt, then eventually reverse the effects of this stunting crisis by 
institutionalizing a comprehensive, whole-of-government and whole-of-society 
strategy that translates to concrete, coordinated, and operational programs and 
plans. Central to this initiative is the creation of the ASAP Council, a high-level 
body empowered to design, implement, and coordinate policies and programs 
targeting the root causes of stunting. It aims to link the ASAP with existing social 
protection programs, like the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps), by 
integrating more focused nutritional screening and early interventions, making 
4Ps a strategic platform for detecting and addressing stunting at an early age.
Kathuria, A.K. (2019). Success Stories with Reducing Stunting : Lessons for PNG. Worid Bank Group. Retrieved from: 
https://documents.woridbank.org/en/pubiication/documents-reports/documentdetaii/809771561531103886/success-stories-with- 
reducing-stunting-iessons-for-png
3 Aiaaraj, N., et al. (2021). Early and Long-term Consequences of Nutritional Stunting: From Childhood to Adulthood. Retrieved 
from: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7975963/pdf/ACTA-92-168.pdf
4 Supra Note 2.
5 World Health Organization (WHO) definition of stunting
6 Supra Note 3.
7 National Center on Education and the Economy (2023). Top-Performing Countries: Singapore. Retrieved from: 
https://ncee.org/singapore/
8 Supra Note 4.
9 Supra Note 1.


Key aims of this measure include (1) introduction of a framework to have 
regular monitoring and evaluation of anti-stunting policies, programs, and 
interventions and recommend adjustments based on evidence and emerging 
trends and needs of the nutrition sector; (2) development of recommendations 
on the minimum standards, financing requirements, and guidelines to govern 
existing programs and policies and those that may be formulated by the relevant 
government agencies and sectors; and (3) provision for the establishment of the 
ASAP Centralized Database System, managed by DOST-FNRI, to consolidate 
and track stunting data, supporting coordinated interventions across 
government agencies.
If we continue to leave the problem of stunting unaddressed, we will 
sustain and prolong the cycle of poverty and inequality, placing what will 
eventually be an insurmountable burden on the nation's future. Therefore, this 
national emergency must be addressed ASAP.
This measure envisions a future where all Filipino children have equal 
opportunities to grow, learn, and thrive — fulfilling their potential and contributing 
to a stronger, healthier, and more progressive nation.
In view of the foregoing, early approval of this bill is earnestly sought.
ALAN PETE
PANERO” S. CAYETANO


TWENTIETH CONGRESS OF THE 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES
First Regular Session
S. B. No. 416
of tiir s' '..ni'i-j'
2b JUL 10 P5 59
RECEIVED SV:
INTRODUCED BY SENATOR ALAN PETER “COMPANERO” S. CAYETANO
AN ACT
ESTABLISHING THE ANTI-STUNTING ACTION PLAN (ASAP) 
COUNCIL IN THE PHILIPPINES, DEFINING ITS POWERS AND 
FUNCTIONS, APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREFOR, AND FOR
OTHER PURPOSES
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in 
Congress assembled:
1 
Sec. 1. Title. - This Act shall be known as the "Anti-Stunting Action Plan
2 
(ASAP) Council Act of 2025."
3 
Sec. 2. Declaration of Policy. - It is the declared policy of the State to
4 
protect and promote the right to health of the people and adopt an integrated
5 
and comprehensive approach to health development. The State shall make
6 
health a critical component of sustainable development and fulfillment of human
7 
rights. It shall prioritize the well-being of the children and promote their rights to
8 
proper care and nutrition, in recognition of their vital role in nation-building and
9 
human capital development.
10 
Towards this end, the State shall formulate, strengthen, and implement a
11 
national framework for policies and programs targeted to reduce and prevent
12 
stunting in the country, prioritizing nutritionally vulnerable groups and
13 
communities in high-poverty areas. It shall ensure the integration and
14 
operationalization of multi-sectoral anti-stunting programs to accelerate health
15 
and nutrition progress through effective coordination mechanisms, intersectoral
16 
policy coherence, high-impact interventions, capacity building, and centralized
17 
data and monitoring systems.
18 
Sec. 3. Objectives. - The objectives of this Act are as follows:
19 
(a) Institutionalize a strategic national action plan and roadmap in
20 
stunting reduction and prevention with a view of adopting a long-term
21 
vision and identifying specific and targeted health and nutrition
22 
interventions to address stunting in the country;
23 
(b) Establish a high-level and independent institution that shall have the


1 
mandate and the authority to integrate health and nutrition programs
2 
on reducing and preventing stunting; and
3 
(c) Improve and strengthen health and nutrition governance using a
4 
whole-of-government and whole-of-society approach to translate
5 
high-level vision to multi-sectoral policy framework and operational
6 
plans, eliminate fragmentation of policies, and ensure accountability
7 
and transparency of health and nutrition programs addressed to
8 
reduce and prevent stunting in the country.
9 
Sec. 4. Establishment of the Anti-Stunting Action Plan Council of the
10 
Philippines; Mandate. - The Anti-Stunting Action Plan Council, hereinafter
11 
referred to as the ASAP Council, is hereby established, to be organized upon
12 
the effectivity of this Act. The ASAP Council shall be the lead agency to oversee
13 
the formulation and implementation of the national stunting reduction and
14 
prevention plan.
15
The ASAP Council shall be attached to the Office of the President.
16 
Sec. 5. Composition of the ASAP Council; Appointment of Office. - The
17 
ASAP Council shall be composed of the Secretary of the Department of Health
18 
(DOH) as Chairperson; the Secretary of the Department of Social Welfare and
19 
Development (DSWD) as Co-Chairperson; and the following as members:
20 
(a) Secretary of the Department of the Interior and Local Government
21 
(DILG);
22 
(b) Secretary of the Department of Agriculture (DA);
23 
(c) Secretary of the Department of Education (DepEd);
24 
(d) Secretary of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST);
25 
(e) Secretary of the Department of Economy, Planning 
and
26 
Development (DEPD);
27 
(f) Executive Director of the Early Childhood Care and Development
28 
(ECCD) Council;
29 
(g) Executive Director of the Council for the Welfare of Children (CWC);
30 
and
31 
(h)Two (2) representatives from non-governmental organizations
32 
(NGOs) engaged in maternal and child care and development and
33 
maternal and child health and nutrition, with a proven record of
34 
involvement in the prevention and reduction of stunting and
35 
malnutrition. These representatives shall be nominated by the
36 
government agency representatives of the ASAP Council, for
37 
appointment by the President for a term of three (3) years.
38 
The members of the ASAP Council may designate their permanent
39 
representatives who shall have a rank not lower than an assistant secretary or
40 
its equivalent to meetings, and shall receive emoluments as may be determined
41 
by the ASAP Council in accordance with existing budget and accounting rules
42 
and regulations.
43 
Sec. 6. ASAP Secretariat. - A Technical Secretariat shall be established
44 
under the control and supervision of the ASAP Council. It shall be headed by an
45 
Executive Director who shall be nominated by the ASAP Council and appointed
46 
by the President of the Philippines. It shall provide the ASAP Council with
47 
technical and administrative support.
48 
The Executive Director shall have at least ten (10) years of experience


1 
and practice in the field of health and nutrition. He or she shall work full-time and
2 
shall have the rank, privileges, and emoluments of an Executive Director IV
3 
(Salary Grade 29).
4 
Sec. 7. Powers and Functions. - The ASAP Council shall have the
5 
following powers and functions;
6 
(a) Develop and formulate a comprehensive and strategic national
7 
vision, action plan, and roadmap for stunting reduction and
8 
prevention, including but not limited to short-term and long-term
9 
goals, timelines, performance indicators, and specific and effective
10 
implementation strategies across all relevant sectors and agencies;
11 
(b) Oversee, monitor, and conduct consultations with stakeholders and
12 
concerned government agencies on health and nutrition policies,
13 
programs, and interventions for stunting reduction and prevention;
14 
(c) Recommend the improvement and harmonization of anti-stunting
15 
policies across various agencies and sectors, and facilitate the
16 
integration of multi-sectoral anti-stunting programs to ensure
17 
program and policy coherence and effective implementation of
18 
stunting reduction and prevention efforts, such as food security,
19 
maternal and child health, water and sanitation, and education;
20 
(d) Establish and maintain a centralized, interoperable, and
21 
comprehensive database system on stunting prevalence and its
22 
causes and interventions. The database shall be accessible to
23 
relevant government agencies, local government units (LGUs), and
24 
other stakeholders to show indicators and important data on stunting,
25 
track progress, and monitor implementation with a view of arriving at
26 
and implementing evidence-based and targeted solutions;
27 
(e) Communicate, whenever it deems necessary, the country’s national
28 
action plan and roadmap, including policies, programs, and
29 
interventions, for stunting reduction and prevention to both local and
30 
international communities, including public reporting of the Anti-
31 
Stunting Action Plan;
32 
(f) Conduct regular monitoring and evaluation of policies, programs, and
33 
interventions and recommend adjustments based on evidence and
34 
emerging trends and needs of the nutrition sector;
35 
(g) Issue advisory opinions and guidelines on anti-stunting matters and
36 
submit annual and special progress reports, including plans and
37 
targets, and policy, financing, and legislative recommendations, to
38 
the President of the Philippines, the President of the Senate, and the
39 
Speaker of the House of Representatives;
40 
(h) Formulate the necessary rules and guidelines for the effective
41 
implementation of this Act; and
42 
(i) Perform such other duties and functions as may be assigned by the
43 
President of the Philippines to ensure the effective implementation of
44 
stunting reduction and prevention policies and programs.
45 
The ASAP Council shall serve as the primary government agency to
46 
oversee the enforcement and administration of anti-stunting policies and
47 
programs. All relevant government agencies and regulators shall comply with its
48 
policy directions and recommendations, subject to prior consultation.
49 
Sec. 8. The Anti-Stunting Action Plan, Roadmap and Programs. - The
50 
Anti-Stunting Action Plan (ASAP) to be formulated shall establish the country’s
51 
strategic vision for stunting reduction and prevention, and shall include long-


1 
term and medium-term goals, plans, priorities, strategies for coordinated and
2 
coherent implementation, and recommendations on corresponding programs
3 
and interventions promulgated and implemented by relevant government
4 
agencies.
5 
The ASAP shall provide a roadmap for improving health and nutrition
6 
governance through well-defined coordination and alignment of stunting
7 
prevention policies and programs across all sectors and stakeholders. It shall
8 
also identify areas of focus and strategies to strengthen and stimulate the role
9 
of government agencies and LGUs in achieving its vision of reducing and
10 
preventing stunting using a whole-of-government and whole-of-society
11 
approach.
12 
The ASAP shall be formulated by the ASAP Council, in consultation with
13 
other relevant government agencies, LGUs, and other experts and
14 
stakeholders, taking into consideration global best practices and evidence-
15 
based solutions. It shall be completed within six (6) months from the effectivity
16 
of this Act.
17 
Upon completion of the ASAP, all concerned government agencies shall
18 
strictly comply therewith and incorporate its pertinent policies in their respective
19 
programs, activities, and projects.
20 
Sec. 9. Whole-of-Government and Whole-of-Society Approach;
21 
Monitoring and Updating of Anti-Stunting Poiicies and Recommendations. - For
22 
the effective implementation of this Act, a whole-of-government and whole-of-
23 
society approach shall be adopted. The ASAP Council shall ensure inter-agency
24 
coordination and integration of the policies and programs among relevant
25 
national government agencies and LGUs as provided in their respective charters
26 
and mandates.
27 
For this purpose, the ASAP Council shall continuously monitor and
28 
regularly update, as may be necessary, the following programs and provide
29 
recommendations for their effective implementation:
30 
(a) The National Nutrition Council’s (NNC) Feeding Program for the First
31 
1,000 Days (F1KD);
32 
(b)The Department of Health’s (DOH) Disease Prevention and Control
33 
Bureau (DPCB) Interventions for F1KD;
34 
(c)The Department of Social Welfare and Development’s (DSWD)
35 
Supplemental Feeding and Pantawid Programs;
36 
(d)The Department of Education’s (DepEd) School-Based Feeding
37 
Program: and
38 
(e)Such other anti-stunting-related programs, activities, and projects
39 
implemented by relevant government agencies.
40 
The ASAP Council shall likewise recommend minimum standards,
41 
financing requirements, reporting and accountability structures, and guidelines
42 
to govern programs and policies that are existing and may hereinafter be
43 
formulated by the relevant government agencies and sectors, such as but not
44 
limited to:
45 
(a) Proactive identification and monitoring of children facing severe
46 
stunting, extensive information dissemination through educational
47 
campaigns, establishment of local innovative measures to ensure
48 
access to nutritious food in the community, and improvement of the


1 
overall nutrition of pregnant mothers and children 0-5 years old;
2 
(b) Technical assistance and training for LGUs to promote food
3 
diversification and development of sustainable local food sources
4 
that meet family nutrition needs;
5 
(c) Allocation of a minimum budget for a comprehensive anti-stunting
6 
intervention packages;
7 
(d) Expansion of the coverage and increase of cash grants under the
8 
Panta\rt/id Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) and other similar
9 
programs, in line with R.A. No. 11310 and other related laws, to
10 
address malnutrition and stunting;
11 
(e) Mandatory health check-ups for 4Ps child beneficiaries aged 0 to 5
12 
years old, every six months, as a conditionality aligned with the
13 
Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program, to allow for regular monitoring
14 
of nutritional status and 
prompt intervention to prevent or address
15 
stunting;
16 
(f) Access to enhanced livelihood support and other appropriate
17 
programs offered by government 
agencies or accredited 
private
18 
institutions; and
19 
(g) Integrated livelihood and anti-stunting strategies.
20 
Sec. 10. Private Sector Participation. —The private sector shall be highly
21 
encouraged to partner with the government to finance and implement anti-
22 
stunting programs and projects. Government agencies tasked with
23 
implementing these programs shall be authorized to accredit development
24 
partners, which may accept donations, aids, or grants, in cash or in kind, from
25 
duly accredited sources, to meet the demands and uphold the basic rights of the
26 
poor to adequate and nutritious food and the highest attainable standard of
27 
health. The acceptance and utilization of such donations, aid, or grants shall be
28 
conducted with full transparency and comply with applicable government
29 
regulations.
30 
Sec. 11. ASAP Centralized Database System. - The Department of
31 
Science and Technology-Food and Nutrition Research Institute (DOST-FNRI),
32 
in coordination with the Philippine Statistics Authority, is hereby mandated to
33 
develop and manage a nationwide database on stunting in the country, to
34 
ensure that an evidence-based, effective, and efficient formulation of ASAP is
35 
achieved. It shall provide a website portal and digital tools to track and
36 
consolidate all relevant statistics and information on stunting and program
37 
implementation of all concerned agencies. It shall likewise coordinate with other
38 
government agencies whose mandates include the conduct of community
39 
mapping programs relevant to health and nutrition, such as the DILG, DOH, and
40 
the DSWD, to support stunting reduction and prevention interventions.
41 
Sec. 12. Annual Report. - The ASAP Council shall submit annual
42 
progress reports to the President and Congress on or before the last day of
43 
September to provide an assessment of the ASAP Council’s implementation of
44 
the national action plan and provide strategic recommendations to address
45 
implementation gaps. The report shall also be made available to the public
46 
through the database system portal to be created by the DOST-FNRI in
47 
accordance with the provisions of this Act.
48 
Sec. 13. Appropriations. - The amount necessary for the initial
49 
implementation of this Act shall be sourced from the current appropriations of


1 
the Office of the President. Thereafter, the amount necessary for the continuous
2 
implementation of this Act shall be included in the annual General
3 
Appropriations Act (GAA).
4 
The funding for the anti-stunting programs and projects implemented
5 
under this Act shall be sourced from the existing appropriations as authorized
6 
under the GAA of the different departments and agencies implementing these
7 
programs.
8 
Sec. 14. Implementing Rules and Regulations. - Within ninety (90) days
9 
from approval of this Act, the ASAP Council, in consultation with relevant
10 
stakeholders, shall formulate and promulgate the necessary rules and
11 
regulations for its effective implementation: Provided, That, the Council may
12 
revise such implementing rules and regulations as it deems necessary;
13 
Provided, however, That such revised implementing rules and regulations shall
14 
only take effect fifteen (15) days following its publication in two (2) newspapers
15 
of general circulation.
16 
Sec. 15. Repealing Clause. - All laws, executive orders, presidential
17 
decrees, administrative orders, rules and regulations, issuances, or parts thereof
18 
inconsistent with any provision of this Act are hereby repealed or amended
19 
accordingly.
20 
Sec. 16. Separability Clause.— If any provision or part of this Act is
21 
declared invalid or unconstitutional, the remaining parts not affected shall remain
22 
in full force and effect.
23 
Sec. 17. Effectivity.—This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its
24 
publication in the Official Gazette or in at least two (2) national newspapers of
25 
general circulation, whichever comes earlier.
Approved,
6