17/10/2025
READ | DILG to Prioritize Nutrition in the First 1,000 Days of a Child’s Life
As the Early Childhood Care and Development Council (ECCD Council) transitions into the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) as an attached agency in 2026, the Department is focusing on improving the nutritional needs of children during the crucial first 1,000 days of life.
DILG Secretary Jonvic Remulla underscored the importance of proper nutrition in a child’s early years, saying that it directly affects lifelong development. “The most critical part of a young person’s development is in the first 1,000 days. And in the Philippines, nutrition seems to be the most deficient part. More than exposure to learning materials, it is nutrition where we are lacking,” he said during a budget hearing on Thursday.
Secretary Remulla emphasized that enhanced nutritional support during this period could be key to unlocking the full potential of Filipino children. He said the DILG will work closely with local government units (LGUs) to strengthen feeding programs and ensure greater access to nutrition-focused interventions in Child Development Centers (CDCs). “If we can have better intervention through the mandatory feeding of children, it will go a long way in increasing the mean IQ development of our children,” he added.
He also pointed out the strong link between early childhood nutrition and cognitive performance. “The functional IQ for a working person in a factory in a province in Cavite is about 90, which is functionally literate enough to operate. But the national average is around 86. That is not because of the lack of education but the poor nutritional value of children’s upbringing at a young age,” Remulla said.
To close these gaps, the DILG urges both local and national governments to ensure that every barangay has an operational CDC capable of delivering quality child development and nutrition programs. Currently, over 28,000 barangays have CDCs, but more effort is needed to expand access and raise service quality.
Republic Act No. 12199, or the Early Years Act of 2023, mandates LGUs to deliver ECCD programs centered on proper nutrition, education, and holistic care. Under this law, the ECCD Council becomes an attached agency of the DILG, co-chaired by the DILG Secretary and the Secretary of the Department of Education (DepEd).
President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. has also allotted one billion pesos for the establishment of additional CDCs in barangays without such facilities, ensuring that more communities can provide early education and nutritional support to children.
Through stronger ECCD implementation and improved nutrition programs, the DILG reaffirms its commitment to giving every Filipino child the best possible start in life, building a healthier, smarter, and more capable generation for a Bagong Pilipinas.
