FIFTEENTH CONGRESS
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPIN!
First Regular Session

)
)
)
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

House am No. _ 714

Introduced by Representative Rufus 8. Rodriguez and
Representative Maximo 8. Rodriguez, Jr.

EXPLANATORY NOTE

This bill seeks to institutionalize a Milk Feeding Program for Filipino children
by providing it with budgetary appropriations to ensure its sustainable
implementation

Results of the "2001 Updating of Nutritional Status of Filipino Children”
conducted by the Department of Science and Technology's Food and Nutrition
Research institute revealed that 32.9% of schoci-children ages 6-10 years are
underweight while 41.1% are short for their age.

‘These nutritionally disadvantaged children are more than the entire population
of Central Luzon which is 8 million, or Somatia, which is 8.78 million, or Sweden,
which is 8.84 million or more than twice the size of the population New Zealand,
which is 3.78 million in year 2000. Children belonging to this group are vulnerable to
infection and disease with usually serious implications. There is a need for the
State's intervention to solve the problem of mainutrition. One feasible way is through
milk-feeding programs.

By milk-feeding, this bill proposes the distribution of locally produced fresh

milk for direct intake of children ages 5-10 years of age nationwide, to be taken from

produce of local milk suppliers and sponsors from the government and private
sector.

To ensure sustainability of the efforis, there is hereby established @ Milk
Feeding Fund to support this worthy cause.

In view of the foregoing, immediate passage of this bill is eameslly requested

RUFUS'B. WGUEZ

Wee
MAXIMO Bf RODRIGUEZ, JR.


FIFTEENTH CONGRESS
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES
First Regular Session

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

714

House Bill No.

Introduced by Representative Rufus 8. Rodriguez and
Representative Maximo 8, Rodriguez, Jr.

AN ACT
PROTECTING THE FILIFNO CHILDREN FROM MALNUTRITION
INSTITUTIONALIZING FOR THIS PURPOSE “THE MILK FEEDING PROGRAN,
APPROPRIATNG FUNDS THEREFORE AND FOR OTHER PURPOSE

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines
In congress Assembled:

Section 1. This Act shail be known as the “MILK FEEDING ACT OF 2010”

Section 2. Declarations of Policy—-The State shall ensure the health welfare
of the vulnerable children population and shall institute effective mechanism to carry
out this policy. The State shall ensure the supply of regular food supplement for
children in order to create a future generation of physically and mentally alert youth.

Section 3. Milk Feeding defined---Milk feeding as used in this Act shall cover
distribution of locally produced fresh milk from cows, carabaos and goats for direct
intake of children ages 5-10 years old nationwide. The fresh milk shall come from the
produce of the local milk suppliers and milk feeding sponsors, private or government.
No milk intended for milk feeding shall > used for commercial sale.

Section 4, Priority Coverage Priority shall given to children who are in the
barangay day care centers, pre-schools and school malnutrition is high. Second
priorities are those nursing mothers, pregnant and elder persons who also reside in
the rural communities.

Section 8. The milk feeding fund—It is hereby allocated an initial amount of
FIVE HUNDRED MILLION PESOS (P600M) out of the total tax collection of the
National Government for the current year from the importation of milk and dairy
product as well as dairy equipment and implemenis in order to enhance and
augment the existing funds for National Milk Feeding Program of the National Dairy
Authority. Said allocation shall constitute the seed money for the Milk Fund,

Annually, thereafter, the Milk Feeding Fund shall be augmented by seventy-
five percent (75%) of the annual tax collection of the National Government from the
importation of milk and dairy products as well as dairy equipment and implement,
seventy percent (70%) of which shall be used for the Nalicnal Milk Feeding Program

and the balance of thirty percent (30%) shali be used for other dairy and dairy-
related activities.


Section 8. Funding Aiternatives—tn the event that the milk import tariff fund
allocation is not available due to previous utilization commitment, alternative
sourcing shall be automatically effected equivalent to either:

2 At least 10% of the generated funds resulting from the flotation of the
ERAP Bonds, grant of RP Food Aid Fun Overseas Development
Assistance Fund and other confirmed fund assistance to the Philippine
Government, or

+ Atleast % of 1% of the Annual Approved General appropriation Budget of
the Govemment

Section 7. Facilitation of Funding—The Department of finance and the
Department of Budget and Management are hereby directec to set aside the above
amount from the taxes collected on the importation of milk and dairy product as well
as dairy equipment and implements and, or to secure the stipulated 10% automatic
allocation against ail confirm fund assistance cited in Section, or to allocate the % of
1% of the Annual Approval Genera! Appropriation budget of the Government,
whichever fund is available.

Section 8. Implementing Authority-—The National Dairy, Authority, consistent
with its mandate under Republic Act No. 7884, is hereby authorized the utilization of
the aforesaid fund for the Nation Milk Feeding Program and other dairy and dairy-
related development activities. The NDA shall tap Donafide end reputable women's
organization as milk feading partner 2s well as other government agencies and non-
government organizations (NGOs) with social reform, pro-poor and pro-child agenda.

Section 9. Milk Feeding Incentives--Any private entity or benefactor, local or
foreign who support the Milk Feeding Program in whatever forms, shall be given due
tax credit equipment to 100% of the value of their contribution to the program.

Section 10. Repealing Clause-- All acts, executive orders, administrative
orders, proclamation, rules and regulation or parts thereof inconsistent with any of
provision of this Act are hereby repealed or modified accordingly.

Section 11. Separability Clause—-if any provision or section of this Act or the
thereof to any person, association, or circumstance is held invalid, the other pertinent
provision or section of this Act and their application to such person association or
circumstances shail not be effected thereby.

Section 12. Effectivity—This act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its
publication in at least two (2) newspapers of general circulation or in the Official
Gazette, whichever comes earlier.

Approved