Castro wants free lunch in elementary schools

Metro Manila, Philippines - Senatorial candidate and ACT Teachers party-list Rep. France Castro is eyeing a “free lunch” program in elementary schools as a measure to curb hunger in the country.

“Walang pipiliin ‘yan it’s up [to] the student nalang kung gusto niya kumain or hindi,” Castro said in the third episode of “Ang Kandidato: A NewsWatch Plus Election roundtable.”

“Dapat talaga i-provide ‘yong free lunch man lang sa ating mga bata kasi advantage din ‘yan sa kanila, dahil pag gutom ‘yong mga bata hindi naman makakapag-isip,” she added.

[Translation: The program will be for all. It is up to the student if they want to eat or not. But free lunch must at least be provided to children because it will be an advantage for them. They can not think properly if they are hungry.]

Castro also said “low” wages must be addressed as this is the cause of high hunger rates.

In March, the Social Weather Stations found 27.2 percent of Filipino families experienced involuntary hunger at least once in the previous three months.

The rate, which translates to around 7.5 million households, was also the highest since the record-high 30.7 percent in September 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Castro, whose platforms mainly focused on education, is part of the 11-member slate of the progressive Makabayan coalition.

She said she would also push to change the “labor export” policy of the government, which affects the education system in the country.

“Kaya talaga totoong national industrialization, ‘yon yong magke-create ng trabaho at hindi tayo aasa sa foreign investment,” the lawmaker told NewsWatch Plus when asked of her plans to create jobs.

[Translation: A genuine national industrialization would create jobs and we should not depend on foreign investments.]