PRESS oN

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Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City

EIGHTEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

HOUSE BILL NO.___ eas

INTRODUCED BY REPRESENTATIVE CAMILLE A. VILLAR

AN ACT
PROVIDING MECHANISMS TO REDUCE FOOD WASTE AND HUNGER THROUGH
FOOD DONATIONS AND RECYCLING

EXPLANATORY NOTE

This legislation provides a concept of Good Samaritan in food donation and addressing
hunger. Feeding people who lack access to safe and nutritious food for growth and physical
development has always been a challenge and this bill is submitted to bridge that gap.

The World Wide Fund for Nature (WWEN) Philippines reported that 2.4 million
Filipino families experienced involuntary hunger at least once in the first quarter of 2019. Only
one (1) out of three (3) Filipino households are considered food secured. Worldwide, the UN
Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) reported that 2 billion people experience moderate or
severe food insecurity in 2019.

Despite these statistics and the fact that the Philippines has topped as biggest rice
importer in the world, it has been estimated that each Filipino wastes an average of 3.29kg of
rice per year, enough to feed 4.3 million Filipinos, according to WWF.

Furthermore, food wastages generate not only economic concerns but also
environmental concerns given its contribution to increased greenhouse gases, deforestation,
among others.

While the Philippines has excess supply of edible food, 13 million Filipinos cannot afford
three (3) meals a day. This edible food surplus, instead of being thrown away and wasted should
be better utilized by donating it to the millions of hungry Filipinos while the inedible food
surplus be recycled as raw materials for compost or fertilizer.


In view of the foregoing, the approval of this bill is earnestly sought.

CAMILLE A. VILLAR

[va t



Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City

EIGHTEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

6474

HOUSE BILL NO.

INTRODUCED BY REPRESENTATIVE CAMILLE A. VILLAR

AN ACT

PROVIDING MECHANISMS TO REDUCE FOOD WASTE AND HUNGER THROUGH

FOOD DONATIONS AND RECYCLING

Beit enacted by the Senate and the House of Representatives ofthe Philippines in Congress assembled:

SECTION L. Short Title. - This Act shall be known as “Food Waste Reduction Act.”

SEC. 2. Definition of Terms. As used in this Act:

a.

Edible Food Surplus refers to excess food or surplus food in the retail and consumption
stages, determined to be fit for consumption based on standards set by the National
Nutrition Council (NNC) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

Food Insecure, as defined by Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), exists when
people lack secure access to sufficient amounts of safe and nutritious food for normal
growth and development and an active and healthy life.

Food Surplus Reduction refers to the decrease of food surplus, ideally through the
redistribution of food surplus to the food insecure or the recycling of food as
fertilizer or compost.

Food-Related Business refers to activities and establishments involved in the
manufacturing and processing of food products, businesses involved in the
wholesaling and retailing of food products, businesses involved in serving food
products, and institutions offering courses in the art and science of preparation,
cooking and presentation of food.

Food Banks refer to non-profit, charitable or other social mission-oriented
organizations that distribute food to the food insecure.

Inedible Food Surplus refers to food discarded in the retail and consumption stages,
determined to be unfit for consumption based on the standards set by NNC and


FDA, including but not limited to prepackaged food products that have gone beyond
their declared expiry dates.

g Waste management and recycling enterprises refers to organizations that manage inedible
food surplus by converting these into fertilizers or compost.

SEC. 3, Covered Establishments. - The establishments covered by this Act are as follows:

2.) Food manufacturers, notwithstanding any restriction imposed by any existing law and
regulation on food manufacturers: Provided, that any donation made by such
manufacturers under the provisions of this Act shall constitute an exception to the
applicability of restrictions under existing laws and regulations;

b.) Food establishments including but not limited to restaurants, cafes, diners, fast food
chains or hotels;

¢.) Culinary schools and other food service training institutions; and
d.) Markets and other food distribution centers.

SEC. 4. National Food Surplus Campaign. - The NC, in close coordination with the Department of
Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), Department of Interior and Local Government
(DILG), Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), Department of Education
(DepEd), Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), Department of Health (DOH), Department
of Science and Technology (DOST), Department of Agriculture (DA), National Food Authority
(NFA), FDA and other concerned agencies and Local Government Units (LGUs), shall
undertake a National Food Surplus Campaign to raise awareness on the impact of food surplus
and strategies to decrease wasted food starting at the houschold level. The campaign shall also
promote the food surplus reduction hierarchy and recommend means of reducing individual
food waste.

SEC. 5. Determination of Food Insecure. - The criteria for determination of food insecurity will be
made by the DSWD in coordination with the LGUs.

SEC. 6. Edible Food Surplus Distribution Steps. ~ The following steps shall be followed in edible food
surplus distribution:

2.) The owners of the covered establishments will segregate their edible and inedible
food surplus;

b.) Before a donation is made, a duly accredited health inspector of the local government
unit will check if the edible food surplus is fit for consumption based on the standards
set by the NNC and EDA;

c.) Upon certifying that the edible food surplus is fit for consumption, the edible food
surplus will be donated by food-related businesses to charities of their choice as
monitored by the DSWD or to accredited food banks as determined by the DSWD
within the period that said surplus remains edible; and

) Food banks, in coordination with the DSWD and LGUs will distribute the edible food
surplus to the food insecure;


e) Surplus food not distributed and become inedible shall be forwarded to waste
management and recycling enterprises.

SEC. 7. Food Related Business Waste Reduction Strategy. ~ The owners of food related businesses such
as food manufacturers, supermarkets, restaurants, cafeterias, culinary schools and hotels shall:

a.) Submit their respective reports to the DSWD and DENR containing data on the amount
(in tons) of its edible and inedible food surplus, organized according to the manner of
disposal, including donation, composting, or discarding;

b,) Enter into a contract with food banks to redistribute edible food waste to the food
insecure subject to Sec. 6 (e) of this Act;

c.) Enter into a contract with waste management and recycling enterprises to recycle
inedible food waste;

d.) Ensure that edible food surplus is unadulterated and in good condition upon arrival at
the food bank's distribution center.

SEC. 8. National Food Surplus Scheme. “The DSWD, as the coordinating agency between food
businesses and food banks, shall:

a.) Provide guidelines and standards for the collection, storage, and distribution of edible
food donated to food banks;

b,) Ensure that food businesses have entered into contracts with food banks and issue
acceptance certificates to food businesses;

c.) Ensure that food banks have adequate storage for edible food surplus;

d.) Promote linkages between food banks and LGUs to create a community-based food
distribution system for the food insecure; and

¢.) Create a Self-Sufficiency Program that will provide the food insecure with skills training
in managing food banks and livelihood programs to avoid sole dependence on donations.

SEC. 9. Houschold and Local Government Unit Responsibility in Waste Reduction Strategy. - LGUs are
hereby required to:

a) Submit an initial report that contains data on the amount (in tons) of inedible food
surplus that can be recycled as raw materials for fertilizers or compost to the DENR
in accordance with the standard set by it;

b) Submit an annual report that contains data on the amount (in tons) of inedible food
waste that can be recycled as raw material for fertilizers or compost to the
DENR;


c) Initiate waste segregation awareness, understanding, and efforts per household
through local campaigns;

d) Shoulder the cost of transporting inedible food surplus from collection areas to
‘waste management sites;

) Enter into contract with waste management and recycling enterprises to recycle
inedible food waste into fertilizer or compost; and

£) Facilitate the distribution of fertilizer or compost to farms and community
gardening associations.

SEC. 10. Accreditation and Training of Health Inspectors. - The DOH, in coordination with FDA, shall
conduct seminars and provide adequate training to LGU health inspectors regarding the proper
determination, sorting, and collection of edible and inedible food surplus.

SEC. Il. Liability Protection. - To protect the food donors from possible abuses and encourage
donations, the liability of owners of the food-related businesses is limited only to the time that
they have possession of the food surplus. Once a donation has been made to the accredited food
banks and/or to farms, the owners of food-related businesses shall be exempt from any liability
and/or injury arising therefrom.

SEC. 12. Tax Incentive. - Donations of edible food surplus by food-related businesse shall be
exempt from donor's tax and the same shall be considered as allowable deductions from their
gross income, in accordance with the provisions of the National Internal Revenue Code of 1997,
as amended;

SEC. 13. Penalties. - Any individual, natural or juridical, who makes edible food surplus unfit for
consumption, who prevents the redirection of edible food waste to food banks or inedible food
surplus to waste management and recycling enterprises, and who resells donated edible and
inedible food surplus shall be penalized with a fine amounting from Php500,000 to
Phpl,000,000.

The fines may be increased on the basis of prevailing economic indicators such as, but not
limited to, inflation rate and consumer price index.

‘SEC. 14. Implementing Rules and Regulations. - Within sixty (60) days from the effectivity of this
Act, the NNC, in coordination with DSWD, DILG, DENR, DOST, DepEd and DOH, shall
promulgate the necessary rules and regulations for the effective implementation of this Act.

SEC. 15. Periodic Review. The implementing agencies shall submit an annual report to Congress on
the progress in the implementation of this Act.

SEC. 16. Separability Clause. ~ If any provision or part hereof is held invalid, or unconstitutional,
the remainder of the law or the provision not otherwise affected shall remain valid and
subsisting,


eV aHawNHe

SEC. 17. Repealing Clause. - All other laws, presidential decrees or issuances, executive orders,
letters of instruction, administrative orders, rules and regulations contrary to or inconsistent
with the provisions of this Act are hereby repealed, modified, or amended accordingly.

SEC. 18, Effectivity. - This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its publication in the Official
Gazette or a newspaper of general circulation.

Approved,