The Philippines faces a silent crisis that could shape the future of its youngest generation, according to Jose Lina, chair of the Children’s First 1000 Days Coalition (CFDC), on May 16.
Malnutrition during the first 1,000 days of life, from conception through a child’s second birthday, poses a significant threat not only to individual health but also to the country’s overall development.
During a talk at the Sequoia Hotel, Lina starkly outlined the implications of poor nutrition during these critical early days.
“At yung mother, especially ang child ay malnourished, ang epekto ng malnutrition na iyon na long term ay being unhealthy throughout na ‘yun,” Lina explained.
The statistics are harrowing. According to UNICEF, malnutrition is the underlying cause of 95 child deaths every day in the Philippines, with 27 out of 1,000 Filipino children not able to reach their fifth birthday. But the impact extends beyond physical health.
“Hindi lang sickly, hindi lang namamatay ang 95, yung cognitive ability. Sapagkat kung malnourished, ‘yung mga neurons sa utak, sa brain, hindi na naggu-grow or mabagal ang growth, at ang consequence niyan, poor cognitive ability,” Lina added.
The effects of malnutrition on education are evident in international assessments. The Philippines has consistently ranked low in the Program for International Student Assessment (PISA), with scores well below the global average in reading, mathematics, and science.
Although there has been a slight improvement in recent years, the country remains near the bottom of the rankings among 81 participating countries.
Economically, the consequences are just as severe. The World Bank’s Human Capital Index for the Philippines stands at 51%, indicating a significant loss in potential productivity due to health and educational deficits.
“If our human resource is not addressed, the future of our country will really be bleak,” warned the CFDC chair.
As the former senator implied, poor cognitive ability affects decision-making, including during elections. Due to poor comprehension, voters may not fully understand the issues at stake.
“Yung political maturity of our people is also affected. Because those who have poor cognitive ability, hindi makaintindi siyempre,” he argued. “Ang maiintindihan na nila ay ‘yung madali eh ‘yung ayuda at saka tupad.”
Addressing malnutrition requires urgent and sustained efforts. CFDC was founded to spread awareness of the importance of nutrition among children and prevent the foreseeable future decline of the Filipino population.
As Lina poignantly put it, “Kung hindi ma-address ito, we will continue to churn out. Well, maganda ang young people. The demographic benefit of having a young population, but it depends on the quality of your young population.”
