FIFTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES 
First Regular Session 
) 
) 
) 
SENATE 
S. B. No. 1347 
Introduced by Senator Loren Legarda 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
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Surveys show that hunger incidence among the Philippine poor is rapidly 
increasing. In 2008, food prices skyrocketed to unprecedented levels, making 
foodstuffs even more difficult for the poor to purchase. This incidence has 
constrained poor families to resort to cheap, but usually unhealthy food in order to 
pacify .their children's pangs of hunger. This results in a vast majority of poor 
children in low-income communities and depressed urban areas who are 
undernourished and sickly, preventing them from achieving their fullest potentials. 
While it is not the policy of the State to promote mendicancy among its populace, 
hunger and malnutrition among the poor are defeating the State's policy of 
protecting and promoting the right to health of the people and instilling health 
consciousness among them." 
Feeding the poor is a gigantic problem which the government is finding 
difficult to solve. Both the State and its citizens should therefore be grateful to 
nongovernmental organizations such as The Fortune Center and Children, 
Incorporated whose members administer feeding programs to the poor in low~ 
income communities and depressed urban areas. This bill will assist these 
organizations in their feeding programs without promoting mendicancy among the 
citizenry. Although the government has several feeding programs, this bill caJIs for a 
concerted effort by the Department of Agriculture, Department of Social Welfare 
and Development, and Department of Health. Unlike other feeding programs, this 
bill will not only mitigate hunger among poor children and pregnant women but 
will ensure provision of healthy food in the form of fruits, vegetables and other 
healthy foodstuffs. 
This bill has the added benefit of assisting local farmers in selling their 
produce without the added cost of storage and of transportation to markets. 
In view of the foregoing, the passage of this bill is being earnestly sought . 
. ~~For--==? 
Senator 


FIFTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES 
First Regular Session 
) 
) 
) 
SENATE 
S. B.No. 134'2 
Introduced by Senator Loren Legarda 
AN ACT 
lU 
JUL 13 1\9 :20 
MANDATING 
THE 
DEPARTMENT 
OF 
SOCIAL 
WELFARE 
AND 
DEVELOPMENT, DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE, AND DEPARTMENT OF 
HEALTH, TO COORDINATE WITH EACH OTHER AND ASSIST IDENTIFIED 
COMMUNITY-BASED FEEDING ORGANIZATIONS OPERATING IN LOW-
INCOME COMMUNITIES AND DEPRESSED URBAN AREAS TO PROMOTE 
INCREASED ACCESS TO AND CONSUMPTION OF FRESH FRUITS, 
VEGETABLES, AND OTHER HEALTHY FOODS AMONG CHILDREN AND 
PREGNANT WOMEN THEREIN AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in 
Congress assembled: 
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Section 1. Title - This Act shall be known as the "Healthy Food for Poor 
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Children Program." 
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Section 2. Concerned Agencies. - The Department of Social Welfare and 
5 
Development (DSWD), Department of Agriculture (DA), Department of Health 
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(DoH), and Department of Education (DepEd) (hereinafter collectively known as the 
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Conc,:rned Agencies) shall jointly implement the provisions of this Act. They shall 
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promote greater consumption of fresh fruits, vegetables, and other healthy 
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foodstuffs in low-income communities and depressed urban areas. 
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Section 3. Role of Department of Agriculture. - The Department of 
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Agriculture (DA) shall identify farmers; farmers' organizations or farmer's 
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cooperatives from which good quality fresh fruits, vegetables and other healthy 
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foodstuffs are to be purchased at the least cost. As much as practicable, the farmers 
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and farmers' organizations should be from the locality wherein the feeding program 
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is to be administered. The farmers shall be chosen pursuant to a transparent and fair 
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selection system, which the Department of Agriculture shall design, and implement. 
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Section 4. Profit for Farmers. - Farmers and farmers' organizations shall be 
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paid the market price of the fresh fruits, vegetables, and other healthy foodstuffs 
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purchased from them by the DA. 
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Section 5. Role of DOH. - The DoH shall identify which fruits, vegetables, 
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and other healthy foodstuffs are appropriate for the feeding programs in the 
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specified locality and shall recommend these to the DA for purchasing. The DoH 
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shall also get personnel or volunteers from the recipient groups themselves and train 
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them the proper and healthy preparation, cooking, and other healthy practices in 
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relation to the feeding programs. 
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. Section 6. Role of DSWD. - The DSWD shall identify community-based 
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organizations who are to be the recipients of the assistance given by the Concerned 
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Agencies. The recipients shall be administering a feeding program in a low-income 
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community or in a depressed urban area. The assistance shall cover providing the 
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organizations with fresh fruits, vegetables,. and other healthy. foods, cooking or 
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preparation of food, manpower, training, and other expenses related to the purpose 
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of this bill. 
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Section 7. Role of Recipients. - The recipients must be assisted by the 
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Concerned Agencies in carrying out one or more of the following activities: 
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(1) 
Administering feeding programs providing fresh fruits, vegetables and 
other healthy foodstuffs, as identified by the Department of Health, to 
poor children of a low-income community or a depressed urban area. 
(2) 
Carrying out information campaigns and outreach activities to 
encourage families and their children to consume fresh fruits and 
vegetables and warn them of the health risks associated with high-
calorie, high-sugar diet. 
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Section 8. Separability Clause. - If any part of this Act should hereafter be 
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declared unconstitutional or invalid, such other parts hereof not otherwise affected 
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thereby shall continue in full force and effect. 
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Section 9. Effectivity. - This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its 
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publication in at least two (2) newspapers of general circulation. . 
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Approved, 
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