Eighteenth Congress
First Regular Session

6620

HOUSE BILL NO. ___

Introduced by
REPRESENTATIVE LOREN B. LEGARDA

AN ACT
PROVIDING EMERGENCY FOOD SUBSIDY TO EVERY POOR FILIPINO FAMILY
AFFECTED BY THE ENHANCED COMMUNITY QUARANTINE DUE TO COVID-19

PANDEMIC AND APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREOF

EXPLANATORY NOTE

The coronavirus disease 2019 (covid-19), which was recently declared by the
World Health Organization (WHO) as a pandemic, brought about adverse social,
psychological, and economic impact to the Filipino people and placed the entire
Luzon under Enhanced Community Quarantine and the whole country under a state
of calamity.

As of March 19, 2020, there are a total of 217 confirmed covid-19 cases in the
country with a total number of 17 deaths and 8 recovered. Enhanced community
quarantine, which includes strict home quarantine, will be observed in all households
and movement will be limited to buying basic necessities.

This greatly affected our poor and marginalized communities who are

dependent on their daily minimum wage. This bill aims to provide emergency food


subsidy to poor families in the National Capital Region (NCR) most affected by the
enhanced community quarantine. According to the National Economic Development
Authority (NEDA), the estimated number of poor families in NCR is 48,400,
equivalent to 308,600 individuals. This bill provides assistance to 100,000
households in NCR with Php500.00 emergency food subsidy per day for 30 days.

This bill will also cover provinces affected by covid-19 and whose economic
activities are hampered by the enhanced community quarantine.

The immediate passage of this bill is earnestly sought.



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Eighteenth Congress

First Regular Session
HOUSE BILL No. °620

Introduced by
REPRESENTATIVE LOREN B. LEGARDA

AN ACT
PROVIDING EMERGENCY FOOD SUBSIDY TO EVERY POOR FILIPINO FAMILY
AFFECTED BY THE ENHANCED COMMUNITY QUARANTINE DUE TO COVID-19
PANDEMIC AND APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREOF

Be it enacted by the Senate end the House of Representatives of the Philippines in
Congress assembled:

SECTION 1. Title. - This Act shall be known as the “Emergency Food
Subsidy Act"

SECTION. 2. Declaration of Policy. - It is the policy of the State to promote a
just and dynamic social order that will ensure the prosperity and independence of the
nation and free the people from poverty through policies that provide adequate social
services and an improved quality of life for all.

In this light, the State also recognizes the ‘Article 25 of the United Nations
Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which states that everyone has the right toa
standard of living adequate for the health and well-being of himself and of his family,

including food, clothing, housing and medical care and necessary social services.

+ https://www.un.org/en/universal-declaration-human-rights/index.html



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SECTION 3. Emergency Food Subsidy Program. — An Emergency Food
Subsidy Program shall hereby be established in order to provide food subsidy to the
marginalized and poor communities affected by the enhanced community quarantine
in the entire Luzon. The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), in
coordination with the local government units (LGUs), shall extend emergency food
subsidy to the communities.

SECTION 4. Program Inclusion. - The program will cover 100,000 households
in the National Capital Region with a food subsidy of Php500.00 per day for a
duration of 30 days in order to ease the impact of the coronavirus disease 2019
(covid-19). The program will also include all provinces with covid-19 cases and
whose economic activities are greatly affected by the enhanced community
quarantine.

SECTION 5. Appropriations. — An amount commensurate to the coverage of
this bill is hereby appropriated as a supplemental budget to be released by the
Department of Budget and Management (DBM) to the Department of Social Welfare
and Development (DSWD) in accordance with budgeting and auditing laws, rules
and regulations. The DSWD shall issue necessary guidelines for the procurement of
the emergency food subsidy.

SECTION 6. Availability of Appropriations. - The appropriations authorized in
this Act shall be available for release and obligation for the purpose from the date of
the effectivity of this Act until the 30 day of the utilization of the emergency food
‘subsidy.

SECTION 7. Separability Clause. - if for any reason or reasons, any part or
provision of this Act shall be declared as unconstitutional or invalid, the other parts of
provisions hereof which are not affected thereby shall continue to be in full force and
effect.


1 SECTION 8. Effectivity. - This Act shall take effect immediately upon its
2 publication.

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4 Approved.