A sustained drive against malnutrition and stunting among Filipino children is needed, the Management Association of the Philippines (MAP) stressed, particularly in rural areas where 30 percent suffer from stunted growth compared to only 26 percent in urban communities.

The MAP's call came amid the World Bank's pronouncement that severe malnutrition remained a serious problem in the Philippines, with one in every three Filipino children below 5 years old suffering from stunting. The Philippines currently ranks number five among countries in the East Asia and the Pacific region with the highest prevalence of child stunting.