Camarines Sur Rep. Luis Ray Villafuerte on Sunday said a new law signed recently by President Rodrigo Duterte expanding state health and nutrition programs for women and children would have a lasting positive impact on future generations of Filipinos.
Republic Act No. 11148 or the First 1,000 Days Law aims to ensure that a child gets the right nutrition in the first 1,000 days of development.
“This law, on the surface, appears to be a social protection program meant to shield poor mothers and children from malnutrition, but its impact on the economy and our future as a country is extensive,” Villafuerte said.
“If the law is fully and effectively implemented, we can be assured of future generations of Filipinos who can ably compete in the global economy because they are healthier and smarter. This would translate into lower healthcare costs and more funds for the government to spend on other priority concerns, such as infrastructure modernization,” he added.
The Camarines Sur lawmaker is one of the principal authors of the “First 1,000 Days” bill in the House of Representatives.
The first 1,000 days refers to the 270 days of a child inside the mother’s womb up to the time of his or her second birthday.
According to Villafuerte, the law would reverse the alarming malnutrition rate that could lead to deaths or stunted growths of Filipino babies.
“With this law, we could significantly lower the incidence of malnutrition and end the cycle of malnourished women giving birth to malnourished daughters, who, in turn, grow up to become malnourished mothers themselves,” Villafuerte said.