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

Twentieth Congress
First Regular Session

HOUSE BILLNO. 4407

Introduced by Representative RAYMOND ADRIAN SALCEDA

AN ACT
PROMOTING HOUSEHOLD-LEVEL FOOD PRODUCTION TO STRENGTHEN
FOOD SECURITY, PROVIDING PROGRAMS AND SUPPORT MECHANISMS,
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.” 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 food
preferences for an active and healthy life.

Despite agricultural progress, many Filipino families remain food insecure. The
Philippine Statistics Authority reports that about 19.9 percent of Filipinos lived below the
poverty threshold in 2023, while child malnutrition and stunting persist in multiple provinces.
Households in both rural and urban areas remain vulnerable to price shocks, disasters, and
supply chain disruptions, such as those experienced during the COVID-19 pandemic and recent
episodes of food inflation.

Household-level food production is a simple but powerful strategy to directly
strengthen food security at the family level. Backyard gardens, container and rooftop farming,
and community plots increase food availability, improve access to fresh and nutritious produce,
and reduce household expenditures on food staples. They also serve as immediate buffers in
times of crisis — when markets are disrupted, mobility is restricted, or prices spike.

International experience confirms that household and community gardens can
significantly contribute to nutrition and resilience. During the pandemic, urban gardening
initiatives across Asia helped stabilize local diets. In Cuba, urban agriculture now supplies over
60 percent of Havana's vegetables. Closer to home, LGU-supported gulayan programs in
schools and barangays have shown measurable impact on children’s nutritional outcomes.


This bill institutionalizes a nationwide Household Food Security Garden Program, with
the following features:

1, Starter Kits and Support. The Department of Agriculture (DA) will provide seeds,
seedlings, compost, and guides to priority households, especially 4Ps beneficiaries,
families in malnutrition “hotspots,” and those in disaster-prone communities.

2. School and Barangay Gardens. All public schools and barangay halls will maintain
food gardens linked to feeding programs and community nutrition campaigns.

3. Compost-to-Food Program. LGUs will establish composting hubs to recycle
household biodegradable waste into fertilizer for gardens.

4, Training. TESDA will offer short courses in urban gardening, container/vertical
farming, aquaponics, and composting.

By enabling families to produce part of their own food, the measure reduces

dependence on volatile supply chains, cuts food expenditures, and enhances the nutritional

quality of diets. It complements existing programs such as the 4Ps and school feeding, while
empowering houscholds to take direct responsibility for their food security.

This is a low-cost, high-impact reform that leverages community effort, existing
government extension systems, and local governance. Every vegetable grown in a backyard or
rooftop is one less kilo to buy at inflated retail prices, and one more step toward resilient, self-
reliant communities.

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

RAYMO!] ALCEDA


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

‘Twentieth Congress
First Regular Session

HOUSE BILL NO. 4407

Introduced by Representative RAYMOND ADRIAN SALCEDA

AN ACT
PROMOTING HOUSEHOLD-LEVEL FOOD PRODUCTION TO STRENGTHEN
FOOD SECURITY, PROVIDING PROGRAMS AND SUPPORT MECHANISMS,
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 “Household Food Security
Gardens Act of 2025.”

SEC. 2. Declaration of Policy. It is the policy of the State to guarantee food security by
encouraging every Filipino household to contribute to its own food supply. The State shall
support backyard, container, rooftop, and community gardening as low-cost, high-impact
strategies to:

(a) increase household food availability;

(b) improve access to fresh and nutritious produce;

(c) reduce dependence on food imports and long supply chains; and

(d) enhance resilience in times of crisis or disaster.

SEC. 3. Definition of Terms. As used in this Act:

(a) Household food garden refers to the cultivation of crops, herbs, fruits, or small

livestock by families within or near their residence, using backyards, containers,

rooftops, or shared community space.

(b) Starter kit refers to a package of seeds, seedlings, planting materials, compost, and
basic guides provided to households under this Act.


(c) Community composting hub refers to a barangay-level facility that processes
biodegradable waste into fertilizer for use in gardens.

SEC. 4. Household Food Security Garden Program.

(a) The Department of Agriculture (DA), in partnership with local government units
(LGUs), shall implement a nationwide Household Food Security Garden Program.

(b) Priority beneficiaries shall include: 4Ps households and indigent families;
households in areas with high malnutrition prevalence; and  disaster-prone
communities.

(©) Each participating houschold shall be entitled to one (1) starter kit annually, subject
to program guidelines.

SEC. 5. School and Barangay Gardens.
(a) All public schools shall maintain food gardens integrated with feeding programs.

(b) Barangay halls, evacuation centers, and government housing projects shall allocate
garden space for community use.

SEC. 6. Compost-to-Food Program.

(a) LGUs shall establish community composting hubs to supply organic fertilizer for
houschold and community gardens.

(b) Households shall segregate biodegradable waste for composting in accordance with
RA 9003 (Ecological Solid Waste Management Act).

SEC. 7. Training and Capacity Building. The Technical Education and Skills
Development Authority (TESDA), in coordination with DA, shall offer short courses in urban
gardening, hydroponics, aquaponics, and composting for households and communities.

SEC. 8. Monitoring and Reportorial Requirement.

(a) LGUs shall submit annual reports on households covered, garden outputs, and
nutrition improvements in their locality.

(b) The DA shall submit to Congress an annual consolidated report on program
outcomes.

SEC. 9. Appropriations. The amounts necessary to implement this Act shall be charged
against the appropriations of the DA and TESDA, and thereafter included in the annual General,
Appropriations Act.

SEC. 10. Implementing Rules and Regulations. Within ninety (90) days from
effectivity, the DA, in coordination with TESDA, DILG, and LGU representatives, shall issue
the IRR of this Act.


SEC. 11. Separability Clause, If any provision of this Act is declared unconstitutional,
the other provisions shall remain in full force and effect.

SEC. 12. Repealing Clause. All laws, decrees, orders, or rules inconsistent with this
Act are repealed or modified accordingly.

SEC. 13. Effectivity. This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its publication in
the Official Gazette or in a newspaper of general circulation.

Approved,