CHILD malnutrition is slowly declining in Central Visayas, but health officials warn that "stunting" remains a major hurdle. New data shows that while the percentage of affected children is going down, over 38,000 children under the age of five are still struggling with the long-term effects of poor nutrition.
According to the 2025 "Operation Timbang Plus" (OPT Plus) report, the regional stunting rate dropped to 6.26 percent this year, down from 6.7 percent in 2024. Stunting, locally known as putot, occurs when a child is too short for their age due to a lack of proper nutrients over a long period.
Health experts are concerned because stunting does more than just affect a child’s height. Nasudi Soluta of the National Nutrition Council (NNC) 7 explained on Thursday, Feb. 19, 2026, that the damage can be permanent. It can stop a child's brain from developing fully and make it harder for them to be productive when they grow up.
The problem is often linked to:
Families living in poverty.
Mothers not getting enough nutrition during pregnancy.
A lack of clean water and proper sanitation.
Families not having enough healthy food to eat.
The impact varies depending on where families live. While cities like Lapu-Lapu and Mandaue have lower rates, rural provinces are seeing higher numbers. Because it has the largest population, Cebu Province is home to nearly half of all the stunted children in the region.
To help children who are dangerously underweight, the NNC is distributing "Ready-to-Use Therapeutic Food"—a special high-calorie paste filled with vitamins.
However, Soluta says the real solution for stunting starts even earlier. She emphasized the "first 1,000 days" approach, which focuses on making sure pregnant mothers eat well and that babies are breastfed properly.
While stunting remains a challenge, there is good news: other forms of malnutrition, such as being underweight or "wasted" (too thin for their height), are also decreasing across the region.
The NNC is now calling on local leaders to use this new data to plan their 2027 budgets. By focusing money and programs on the hardest-hit neighborhoods, officials hope to ensure every child in Central Visayas has the chance to grow up healthy and strong.