Republic of the Philippines

REPRESS
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

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“zon City Se, “4.
Quezon City RECEIVED *)
onreO1 JUL 2010
FIFTEENTH CONGRESS Lv Eps

First Regular Session

HOUSE BILL NO. 27

Introduced by: HON. RACHEL MARGUERITE B, DEL MAR

EXPLANATORY NOTE

This bill seeks to institutionalize the free breakfast program of the Department of
Education (DepEd) for day care center, preschool and elementary school children in all
public schools in the country. The free breakfast program shall consist of fortified instant
noodles or iron-fortified rice or fortified biscuits or any other appropriate form to address
hunger primarily and malnutrition secondarily. Unlike in the past when it was implemented
only for a limited duration and areas for public schools classified as low performing schools
or public schools with high prevalence of malnutrition, it shall be implemented in all public
schools throughout the entire country since almost all school children enrolled therein come
from poor families and suffer from undernourishment and malnourishment affecting their
capacity to attain and maintain average academic performance. These school children
coming to school with practically no breakfast from home cannot be expected to absorb
their lessons in school while suffering hunger pangs.

‘The Department of Education (DepED) and the Department of Social Welfare and
Development (DSWD) implemented an immediate intervention to address hunger among
families through their children enrolled in DepEd supervised public day care centers
preschools, and elementary schools in the form of food subsidy for young learners who
belong to poor families. A daily ration of one (1) kilo of rice is given to that family of a
child for a specific period of time as long as the child goes to school or to the day care
center every day.

In terms of malnutrition, the Philippine government is committed to the global call to
eradicate malnutrition as stated in the World Declaration on Nutrition and Global Plan of
Action for Nutrition adopted during the International Conference on Nutrition (ICN) in
Rome, Italy on December 1992. This commitment is operationalized with the birth of the
Philippine Plan of Action for Nutrition (PPAN) within the context of current development
efforts enunciated in the Medium-Term Philippine Development Plan.


PPAN serves as the springboard or the country's plan for the Philippine government's
goal to decrease the prevalence of malnutrition in the country. It integrates the efforts of the
national government, local government unit (LGU's), nongovernmental organizations
(NGOs) including community-based NGOs, the business sector, and the international
community in assisting target beneficiaries.

PPAN aims to achieve nutritional for all Filipinos and will contribute to the
achievement of the Millennium Development Goals on eradicating extreme poverty and
hunger.

There is therefore an urgent need to fine-tune these program of the DepEd and
enhance the same by providing a free breakfast program not only to day care centers,
preschools but also all public elementary schools in the country.

Hence, approval of the above-mentioned bill is earnestly sought.

RACH MARGUERITE B. DEL MAR


Republic of the Philippines ~
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Quezon City RECEIVED

FIFTEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

HOUSE BILL NO.

Introduced by: HON. RACHEL MARGUERITE B. DEL MAR

AN ACT
PROVIDING FOR A FREE BREAKFAST PROGRAM FOR PUBLIC SCHOOL
CHILDREN IN DAY CARE CENTERS, PRESCHOOLS AND ELEMENTARY
SCHOOLS IN THE COUNTRY AND APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREFOR

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

SECTION 1. Declaration of Policy. - \t is the declared policy of the State to
promote quality education at all levels of the educational system and to promote the
physical, moral, spiritual, intellectual and social well-being of the youth. Towards this end,
the Government shall endeavor to provide the conditions, to enchance the learning process
in public day care centers, preschools and elementary schools to attain the highest academic
performance level.

SEC. 2. Free Breakfast Program for Day Care, Pre-school and Elementary Pupils.
- To improve the academic perforance of school chidren in public day care centers,
preschool and elementary schools a free breakfast program shall be made part of public
education system. This free breakfast program shall be designed by the Department of
Education (DepEd) upon consultation, as far as practicable, with Parents-Teachers
Association.

SEC. 3. Integration of a Free Breakfast Program. - To achieve the declared policy
of government, a Free Breakfast Program shall be included as a mandatory and integral part


of the activities of all public day care centers, preschools and elementary schools.

SEC. 4. Funding. - The amount needed to implement the provisions of this Act shall
be charged against the allocation of the Department of Education under the current General
Appropriations Act. Thereafter the amount necessary to carry out and maintain a free
breakfast program in the public day care centers, preschools and elementary schools shall
be included in the annual General Appropriations Act of the year following its enactment
into law and thereafter.

SEC. 5. Implementing Rules and Regulations. - Within sixty (60) days from the
effectivity of this Act, the Department of Education shall promulgate the necessary rules and
regulations for the implementation of this Act.

SEC. 6. Repealing Clause. - All laws, decrees and orders or parts thereof which are
contrary to or inconsistent with this Act are hereby repealed, amended or modified
accordingly.

SEC. 7. Effectivity. - This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days following its
pulication in two (2) newspapers of general circulation.

Approved,