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Republic of the Philippines I? REC! EIVED ” i
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES FE aren sc 28 a
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‘Twentieth Congress Ks &
First Regular Session Sl NOEK:
4405

HOUSE BILL NO. __* *

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Introduced by Representative RAYMOND ADRIAN SALCEDA

AN ACT
ESTABLISHING A NATIONAL FRAMEWORK FOR THE REDUCTION OF FOOD
LOSS AND FOOD WASTE TO IMPROVE FOOD SECURITY, PROVIDING FOR
MEASUREMENT, TARGETS, STANDARDS, PROGRAMS, AND INCENTIVES,
AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES

EXPLANATORY NOTE
Article XIII, Section 12 of the 1987 Constitution directs the State to establish and
maintain an adequate food supply at affordable prices, consistent with the right of every
Filipino to food security. The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) defines food security
as existing when all people, at all times, have physical, social, and economic access to
sufficient, safe, and nutritious food that meets their dietary needs and preferences for an active

and healthy life.

Yet significant portions of food produced in the Philippines never reach the table. Post-
harvest losses for rice and com remain as high as 16-20 percent in some regions, and losses
for fruits and vegetables reach 20-30 percent, primarily due to poor handling, lack of cold
storage, and inefficient logistics. In fisheries, spoilage rates can exceed 30 percent at landing
sites without ice or sanitary facilities. On the demand side, food waste at retail, food service,
and household levels is growing, with supermarkets discarding unsold but edible products and
restaurants producing avoidable plate waste.

Every kilo lost is a blow to availability (supply), access (prices), utilization (nutrition
quality), and stability (supply reliability) — the four dimensions of food security. Reducing
food loss and waste is therefore a direct and cost-effective way to improve national food


security, reduce import dependence, ease inflationary pressures, and conserve scarce

production resources,

Globally, Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) Target 12.3 commits countries to halve
per capita food waste at the retail and consumer levels and reduce food losses along production
and supply chains by 2030. This measure aligns the Philippines with that commitment while

tailoring interventions to local realities.
This bill proposes a sharp, practical framework:

1. Measurement and Accountability. The Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA), in
coordination with the Department of Agriculture (DA), will establish baselines and
annually publish a Food Loss Index (FLI) and a Food Waste Index (FW1) for rice,
com, fish, fruits, vegetables, eggs, and meat. Large retailers and food service

establishments will measure and report their food waste.

2. ‘Targets. By 2030, post-harvest losses for rice and com shall be cut by at least 25
percent, and for perishables (fruits, vegetables, fish) by 50 percent. Per capita food

waste at retail and consumer levels shall be halved.

3. Programs. The DA will prioritize practical interventions: hermetic storage and dryers
for grains, community packhouses and cold rooms for perishables, sanitary upgrades at
fish landing sites, reusable crates instead of sacks, and accreditation of refrigerated

transport.

4, Waste Hierarchy. Food waste management will follow a clear hierarchy: prevention
at source, redistribution for human consumption, animal feed, industrial uses,

composting or anaerobic digestion, and disposal as last resort.

5. Safe Harbor for Donation. Good-faith donors of safe surplus food to accredited
redistributors will be protected from liability, provided safety standards are observed.

6. Date Marking Reform. Labels will be standardized into “USE BY” (safety) and
“BEST BEFORE” (quality) to reduce consumer confusion and unnecessary disposal.

7. Organics Diversion. Cities will progressively require separate collection and recycling
of food organics, reducing landfill pressure and methane emissions.


8. Incentives. Cold chain, redistribution logistics, and composting investments will be
recognized as preferred activities under the Strategic Investment Priority Plan; tax
treatment of surplus food donations will be clarified by the DOF and BIR.

By cutting losses in the field and waste at the table, this bill turns inefficiency into

resilience. It will:
+ Make more food available without requiring new land or water.
+ Ease inflation by lowering wastage in supply chains.
+ Improve nutrition by preserving quality and safety of perishables.
+ Reduce greenhouse gas emissions ftom rotting food.
+ Strengthen the country’s compliance with its international commitments.

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



Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City, Metro Manila

Twentieth Congress
First Regular Session

House BiLLNo._ 4405

Introduced by Representative RAYMOND ADRIAN SALCEDA

AN ACT
ESTABLISHING A NATIONAL FRAMEWORK FOR THE REDUCTION OF FOOD
LOSS AND FOOD WASTE TO IMPROVE FOOD SECURITY, PROVIDING FOR
MEASUREMENT, TARGETS, STANDARDS, PROGRAMS, AND INCENTIVES,
AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES

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

SECTION 1. Short Title. This Act shall be known as the “Food Loss and Waste
Reduction for Food Security Act of 2025.”

SEC. 2. Declaration of Policy. It is the policy of the State to advance food security by
increasing availability, improving access and utilization, and enhancing stability of food supply
through the systematic reduction of food loss across the supply chain and food waste at retail,
food service, and household levels, consistent with internationally accepted definitions and
Sustainable Development Goal 12.3.

SEC. 3. Definition of Terms. For purposes of this Act:
(a) Food loss means the decrease in quantity or quality of food resulting from
inefficiencies during production, post-harvest handling, storage, processing, transport,

and wholesale distribution, excluding retail and final consumption.

(b) Food waste means food suitable for human consumption that is discarded or left to
spoil at the retail, food service, or household level.

(c) Surplus food means safe, edible food not sold or served for commercial reasons
(c.g., cosmetic standards, overproduction, “best before” date proximity).

(d) Food redistribution organization means a not-for-profit entity or cooperative that
collects, stores, transports, and distributes surplus food to end-recipients.


(€) Date marking means mandatory consumer-facing shelf-life labels, consisting only
of “USE BY (date)” for safety-critical foods and “BEST BEFORE (date)” for quality-
related guidance.

(f) Cold chain means temperature-controlled production, storage, and logistics for food
quality and safety.

(g) Food Loss Index (FLI) and Food Waste Index (FW1) mean national benchmark
indicators of losses and waste by commodity and stage, as established under this Act.

SEC. 4. Scope and Coverage. This Act applies to priority value chains (rice, com, fish
and seafood, fruits, vegetables, eggs, and meat) and to (i) farms and first sale points, (ii) storage,
processing, and transport, (iii) wholesale markets, (iv) retail and food service establishments,
and (v) households.

SEC. 5. Measurement and Baseline.

(a) Within eighteen (18) months from effectivity, the Philippine Statistics Authority
(PSA), in coordination with the Department of Agriculture (DA), shall establish
national baselines and publish the Food Loss Index (FLI) and Food Waste Index (FWI)
by commodity and chain stage.

(b) Large retail and food service establishments meeting thresholds set in the IRR shall
measure and report annual food waste tonnage to the PSA using standard protocols.

(c) The PSA shall update FLI and FWI annually and make results publicly available.
SEC. 6. National Targets.

(a) Food Loss Reduction: By 2030, reduce post-harvest losses versus baseline by at
least twenty-five percent (25%) for rice and corn, and fifty percent (50%) for fruits,

vegetables, fish, and seafood.

(b) Food Waste Reduction: By 2030, halve per-capita food waste at retail and consumer
levels.

(©) The DA shall set intermediate 2027 targets and integrate them into agency
performance indicators.

SEC. 7. Post-Harvest and Chain-Efficiency Programs (Food Loss). The DA shall
prioritize, fund, and scale the following:

(a) Provision and promotion of hermetic storage, moisture meters, and solar/mechanical
dryers for rice and corn;

(b) Establishment of community packhouses, pre-cooling, and small cold rooms near
production clusters;

(0) Standardization and adoption of reusable crates and pallets to replace sack/bulk
hauling for perishables;


(@) Upgrading of fish landing sites and auction markets with sanitary handling, ice-
making, and traceability;

(©) Accreditation and promotion of refrigerated transport and time-bound green lanes
for perishables at ports, airports, and tollways;

(f) Support for aflatoxin control and other quality/safety measures in priority chains.

SEC. 8. Food Waste Prevention and Management Hierarchy. The following hierarchy
shall apply, in order of priority:

(1) Prevention at source (better forecasting, menu/assortment optimization, trim-loss
reduction);

(2) Redistribution for human consumption (donation/sale at reduced price where lawful
and safe);

(3) Use as animal feed where appropriate;
(4) Industrial uses (¢.g., rendering, bio-refining);
(5) Composting and anaerobic digestion;

(6) Disposal as a last resort.

Large retail and food service establishments shall adopt written Food Waste Prevention
Plans consistent with this hierarchy and maintain on-site segregation of edible surplus.

SEC. 9. Food Donation Safe Harbor; Standards.

(a) Safe Harbor. A person or establishment that, in good faith and without gross
negligence or willful misconduct, donates safe, properly handled surplus food to an
accredited food redistribution organization shall not incur civil or criminal liability
arising from the nature, age, packaging, or condition of the donated food, provided
safety standards are met.

(b) Standards, The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and DA-Bureau of
Agriculture and Fisheries Standards (BAFS) shall, within ninety (90) days, issue
simplified safety and handling protocols for donation, including cold-chain integrity,
labeling, and traceability.

(©) Redistribution Organizations. The Department of Social Welfare and Development
(DSWD) shall accredit redistribution organizations for purposes of this section,
ensuring capability for safe handling and swift last-mile delivery.

(4) Records. Donors and redistributors shall keep minimal records (source, type,
quantity, date, destination) for three (3) years.


SEC. 10. Date Marking Standardization.

(a) The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) and FDA shall mandate a two-label
system: “USE BY (date)” for safety-critical foods; “BEST BEFORE (date)” for quality
guidance, and prohibit other confusing terms.

(b) Sale or donation of foods past “BEST BEFORE” is permitted if the food remains
safe and is properly labeled; sale or donation past “USE BY” is prohibited.

(c) Public information materials shall be issued to reduce consumer confusion and
prevent avoidable waste.

SEC. 11. Organics Diversion and Segregation.

(a) Cities and municipalities shall implement separate collection or designated drop-off
for segregated food organics from large generators by 2028.

(b) By 2030, landfilling of segregated organics from large generators is prohibited
where composting or anaerobic digestion capacity exists within practicable haul
distance, as defined in the IRR.

(c) The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) shall set technical
standards for compost and digestate use.

SEC. 12. Retail and Food Service Requirements. Establishments meeting IRR
thresholds shall:

(a) Measure and report annual food waste (Sec. 5);
(b) Implement a Food Waste Prevention Plan (Sec. 8);

() Maintain written arrangements with a redistribution organization or alternative
hierarchy pathways;

(a) Ensure on-site segregation of edible surplus and organics.
SEC. 13. Incentives and Enablers.

(a) The Board of Investments (BOD shall classify cold-chain, packhouses, composting,
anaerobic digestion, and redistribution logistics as preferred activities under the
Strategic Investment Priority Plan.

(b) The Department of Finance (DOF) and Bureau of Intemal Revenue (BIR) shall,
within ninety (90) days, issue revenue regulations to clarify tax treatment of surplus
food donations to accredited redistribution organizations, consistent with the National
Internal Revenue Code, including allowable deductions and documentation.

(c) Government procurement entities may buy near-date “BEST BEFORE” items at
reduced prices for feeding programs, subject to safety protocols of the FDA and
implementing agency rules.


SEC. 14. Role of Local Government Units (LGUs). Provinces, cities, and municipalities
shall integrate food loss and waste reduction measures into their Agriculture and Fisheries
Modernization Plans and Annual Investment Programs, including market code updates on crate
standards, cold storage support, and organics diversion.

SEC. 15. Monitoring and Reportorial Requirement. The Department of Agriculture
shall consolidate annual FLI and FWI data and submit to Congress a Food Loss and Waste
Reduction Report containing: (a) updated indices and trends; (b) program implementation
status; (c) progress toward targets; and (d) recommended adjustments.

SEC. 16. Appropriations. The amounts necessary to carry out this Act shall be charged
against the current appropriations of concerned agencies and thereafter included in the annual
General Appropriations Act.

SEC. 17. Implementing Rules and Regulations. Within ninety (90) days from
effectivity, the DA, PSA, DTI, FDA, DENR, and DSWD shall issue the IRR limited to: (a)
measurement protocols and thresholds; (b) safety standards for donation; (c) date-marking
specifications; (d) organics diversion parameters; and (¢) reporting formats.

SEC. 18. Separability Clause. If any provision of this Act is declared unconstitutional,
the remaining provisions shall remain in full force and effect.

SEC. 19. Repealing Clause. All laws, decrees, orders, rules, and regulations
inconsistent with this Act are hereby repealed or modified accordingly.

SEC. 20. Effectivity. This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its publication in
the Official Gazette or in a newspaper of general circulation.

Approved,