Manila: The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) on Wednesday announced that an increased budget allocation for the Supplementary Feeding Program (SFP) will enable the agency to support a broader geographic coverage, reach more children nationwide, and extend the feeding period this year. According to Philippines News Agency, the budget for the SFP has increased from PHP5 billion in 2025 to PHP9.26 billion for 2026, with the feeding period extended from 120 days to 180 days. DSWD spokesperson Assistant Secretary Irene Dumlao stated that the expansion of the SFP reflects the department's commitment to improving the nutritional status of children aged two to five years old enrolled in Child Development Centers (CDCs) and Supervised Neighborhood Playgroups (SNPs). This initiative aligns with the Philippine Plan of Action for Nutrition (PPAN) and the Philippine Development Plan (PDP) 2023-2028. Dumlao highlighted the necessity for a budget increase to ensure that the program remains adequate and responsive to the needs of undernourished children. From 2025 to 2026, program coverage will increase from 1,583,316 children to 1,899,415, expanding from 735 to 864 municipalities. The number of covered CDCs will rise from 29,094 to 32,230 in priority PPAN areas. In provinces with high poverty incidence, the number of covered CDCs will grow from 5,284 in 2025 to 7,824 in 2026. Dumlao emphasized that the expansion ensures more undernourished children in vulnerable communities receive regular nutritional support. The program's performance has shown consistently high accomplishment rates, with SFP serving 99.17 percent of the annual target in 2024 and exceeding the target by reaching 100.25 percent in 2025. Milk feeding efforts have also reached over 100,000 children annually. The DSWD is strengthening partnerships with local government units to ensure orderly SFP implementation and is enhancing Supervised Neighborhood Playgroups to reach children not enrolled in CDCs. Capacity building is promoted through Pa rent Effectiveness Sessions and community participation, including support for local farmers and producers as food sources. Dumlao expressed confidence that the expanded program would contribute to improved child nutrition outcomes and support national efforts to combat hunger and undernutrition among Filipino children.