Top business leaders urged the new administration to put nutrition and education at the heart of the country’s development and inclusive growth agenda.
Citing the need to address problems of stunting and learning crisis, the Philippine Business for Education (PBEd), Philippine Business for Social Progress (PBSP), and Makati Business Club (MBC) bared this in a forum on Wednesday as part of their policy wishlist for the Marcos administration and the incoming Congress .
PBSP calls for policies that would guarantee access to safe, affordable, and nutritious food, and expansion of economic opportunities for vulnerable households, particularly for at-risk mothers and children. To ensure food security, farmers must also be empowered with resources and technology towards improved yield, efficiency, and resilience.
“What businesses can do in addressing poverty is to provide jobs. It is incumbent upon businesses to raise their investments because more jobs bring more income to people.
Businesses must also make a serious effort in investing in agriculture. Our role is to enable our people to feed themselves and send their kids to school,” said PBSP chairman Manuel V. Pangilinan.
PBEd chairman Ramon del Rosario Jr. urged the new administration to make effective learning a serious goal in its first 100 days.
Key strategies that PBEd proposes include ensuring all learners have access to quality pre-Kindergarten to Grade 3 education and developmental programs such as daycare, tutorials or remediation and year-long feeding programs. To make sure that all learners meet basic skills based on international standards, teacher quality must also be improved through better teacher training and support. Finally, there must also be access to lifelong learning opportunities for adults to stay competitive.
