Republic of the Philippines 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
Quezon City 
NINETEENTH CONGRESS 
First Regular Session 
HOUSE BILL NO. _______ 
____________________________________________________________________ 
Introduced by HON. GUS S. TAMBUNTING 
AN ACT STRENGTHENING FOOD SECURITY, ESTABLISHING THE FOOD 
SECURITY COUNCIL, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
Sec. 12, Art. XIII of the 1987 Constitution states that “The State shall establish and 
maintain an effective food and drug regulatory system and undertake appropriate 
health, manpower development, and research, responsive to the country's health 
needs and problems.” 
The Philippines, one of the world’s largest importers of rice, buys three million tons of 
rice from overseas every year. According to the United Nations trade data, we imported 
$451 million worth of sugar in 2021. And much of our garlic.1 
Salt, a basic commodity, our country is forced to spend our precious dollars to import 
to supply 80-90% of our needs. The country imports at least 850,000 metric tons of salt 
from mainly Australia and China every year. 
We cannot rely on food importation anymore to feed our countrymen. We must produce 
our own food in order to prevent famine.  
This proposed measure aims to provide food security in the Philippines. The 
government must do its part in order to support our farmers and fishermen because 
they produce food for us.  
On behalf of the people of Parañaque City’s Second District, and for the common good 
of the Filipino people, the approval of the said measure is earnestly sought. 
REP. GUS S. TAMBUNTING 
2nd District, Parañaque City 
1 https://mb.com.ph/2023/01/10/salt-shortage-leads-to-importation/ 
January 27, 2023
10:32 am
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Republic of the Philippines 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
Quezon City 
NINETEENTH CONGRESS 
First Regular Session 
HOUSE BILL NO. _______ 
______________________________________________________________________ 
Introduced by HON. GUS S. TAMBUNTING 
AN ACT STRENGTHENING FOOD SECURITY, ESTABLISHING THE FOOD SECURITY 
COUNCIL, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES 
Be 
it 
enacted by 
the 
Senate and House of 
Representatives in Congress 
Assembled: 
SECTION 1. TITLE – This act shall be known as the “FOOD SECURITY ACT”. 
SECTION 2. DECLARATION OF POLICY – it shall be the policy of 
the state to: 
1. Ensure sufficient grains and all other key products specifically those
manufactured from domestically land-based agricultural activities.
2. Promote reasonable prices especially during times of calamities and in all
cases of emergencies.
3. Take the lead role to provide the necessary resources, planning,
organizational and control systems to optimize the agricultural
production.
4. Provide the appropriate technical support, regulatory principles, and
monetary guidelines.
5. Initiate progress monitoring for all sectors actively involved.
SECTION 3. MISSION AND VISION – to institutionalize all foregoing 
policies, the Republic of the Philippines shall focus all its development plans and 
programs towards the achievement of the following: 
• Improve the income of all farmers and agricultural communities;
• Provide all the necessary subsidies and production support;
• Organize inter-relationships among stakeholders within the food
industry;
• Maximize food supply efficiency;
• Establish negotiability with integrity for all guarantees;
• Development of guidelines to enhance transparency and competitiveness;
• Adopt innovative techniques to reduce cost and improve quality;
• Protect local farmers from the impact of globalization;
• Enable local farmers to gain access to enhance post-harvest facilities;
• Encourage the private sector to engage;
• Enable the private sector to participate in this production;
• Promote government guarantees;
• Access capital market funding for food production;
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• Preserve strategic reserves of all key agricultural products; 
• Maintain a good buffer stock for all food essentials throughout the year; 
and 
• Maximize the production of all key food products. 
 
SECTION 4. IMPLEMENTING GUIDELINES: for purposes of this 
act, to execute the foregoing policy, there is hereby creating the FOOD 
SECURITY COUNCIL. This council shall have the overall authority and 
responsibility and accountability for crafting and formulating a comprehensive 
program for the implementation of these policies. 
The FOOD SECURITY COUNCIL shall be composed of the following: 
• Secretary – Department of Agriculture (chairperson) 
• Secretary – Department of Trade and Industry 
• Secretary – Department of Finance 
• President – Land Bank of the Philippines 
• Administrator – National Food Authority 
• Representative – Famers sector 
• Representative – Consumer sector 
• Representative – Private sector 
• Representative – Grains, Seeds sector 
• Representatives – Dominant Farmers Party list 
The Council shall formulate its own implementing rules and regulations 
to govern its proceedings. The Council shall choose its official home base, and 
organize a staffing protocol to aid and carry out its functions. 
 
SECTION 5. CAPACITY AND ROLE OF THE COUNCIL 
 
To engage and assure the Food Security Policy of the state, the Council shall 
have the following powers: 
1. To establish satisfying levels of annual inventory based on the 
the appropriate calendar year for all key food products. Meeting the 
minimum indicated factors of the following: 
• Keeping the prices of all key food products stable; 
• Improving farmer’s income, ideal levels for production; 
• Identify the regions where productions are to be 
domestically produced or foreign sources if they are to be 
imported; 
• Indicate the strategic services for these key food products; 
and 
• Institutionalize the interaction and relations of the 
availability and supply of these key food products. 
2. To enforce and create, through agencies the appropriate 
standards of the following: 
• Transfer of these key food products; 
• Preservation; 
• Benchmark of practice and packaging; 
• Units of measurement; 
• Analysis and testing; 
• Specifications; 


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• Inspection and sampling; 
• Storage; 
• Distribution and shipping; 
• Milling and drying; 
• Handling, hauling, and grading 
3. To mandate the specific agencies to effectively seize whenever 
there are improper acquisitions (hoarding, cornering) of these key 
food products. Including all facilities and machinery used; 
4. To authorize inspection by these specific agencies of these key 
products that are stored in private warehouses, for inventory; 
5. To implement monitoring and progress tracking of these key 
products for prices and stocks movement; 
6. To locate and encourage the creation of food terminal markets on 
a nationwide scale; 
7. To identify trading centers to serve as a conduit facility; 
8. To promote efficient distribution to all consumers; 
9. To promote a transparent marketing system; 
10. To enhance the interest of more farmers and consumers; 
11. To track the demand and supply indicators of these key food 
products. All imports and exports in coordination with the 
Bureau of Customs; 
12. To monitor the impact on farmers’ income, their standards 
of living, and consumer prices in collaboration with the 
Department of Trade and Industry; 
13. To create the appropriate implementing rules and regulations 
governing the importation of all key food products. 
14. To establish an annual ideal inventory level, in the concept of 
licensing, and; 
15. To prescribe penalties and fines for non-compliance. 
 
SECTION 6. APPROPRIATION 
 
The amount determined by the Food Security Council for the implementation of 
this Act shall be charged under the existing funding of the Department of 
Agriculture. 
 
Thereafter 
such 
amounts 
necessary 
for 
successive 
and 
continuous 
implementation of this Act, 
including the operations maintenance of reserves 
shall be automatically appropriated in the General Appropriations Act. 
 
SECTION 7. REPEALING CLAUSE.  
All laws, executive orders, issuances, rules, and regulations inconsistent with this Act are 
hereby amended, repealed or modified accordingly. 
 
SECTION 8. SEPARABILITY CLAUSE.  


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If, for any reason or reasons, any portion or provision of this Act shall be held 
unconstitutional or invalid, the remaining provisions not affected thereby shall continue to be 
in full force and effect. 
 
SECTION 9. EFFECTIVITY CLAUSE.  
This Act shall take effect (15) days upon publication in at least two (2) newspapers of general 
circulation. 
 
Approved,