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

TWENTIETH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

House Bill No. 4085

INTRODUCED BY REPRESENTATIVES RALPH WENDEL P. TULFO
AND JOCELYN P. TULFO

AN ACT STRENGTHENING THE NATIONAL NUTRITION COMMISSION,
REPEALING FOR THE PURPOSE PRESIDENTIAL DECREE NO. 491,
ENTITLED “CREATING A NATIONAL NUTRITION COUNCIL AND FOR
OTHER PURPOSES”

EXPLANATORY NOTE

Presidential Decree No. 491, otherwise known as the “Nutrition Act of the
Philippines”, created the National Nutrition Council (NNC) as the country’s highest
policy-making and coordinating body for nutrition. However, since its establishment
in 1974, the NNC continues to operate on a modest scale, with more or less a hundred
employees comprising the national and regional offices,? despite it being the lead
agency in fighting hunger and malnutrition in the entire country.

In order to achieve nutritional adequacies for all Filipinos, malnutrition has to
be fully addressed in all its conditions, such as micro-nutrient related malnutrition,
overweight, obesity, and diet-related non-communicable diseases, while also
attending to prevalent issues of wasting, stunting, underweight, and vitamin and
mineral deficiencies, which characterize undernutrition. For decades, there have
been almost no improvement in the prevalence of undernutrition in the country.

According to the World Bank, in order to address the challenge of reducing
undernutrition, there is a need to build a strong and more coordinated partnership for
nutrition by strengthening the NNC to provide the supervisory and oversight
capacities needed for effective and efficient implementation of its programs.*

2 “Mandates and Functions”, National Nutrition Council, _https://www.nne.gov.phi/transparency/8-
transparency/183-mandates-and-functions.

2«Staffing Summary”, Department of Budget and Management, https://www.dbm.gov.ph/wp-content/uploads!
ST AFFING2024/DOH/B. pdf

nt Types of Malnutrition”, National Nutrition Council, _https://nne.gov.ph/regional-
offices/mindanao/region-ix-zamboanga-peninsula/78 |9-different-types-of-malnutrition.

“Undernutrition in the Philippines: Scale, Scope, and Opportunities for Nutrition Policy and Programming”, The
World Bank, 1S June 2021, hitps://www.worldbank.org/en/country/philippines/publication/-key-findings-
‘undernutrition-in-the-philippines.



Given its strategic programs, one of which is the Philippine Plan of Action for
Nutrition (PPAN), a five-year roadmap which serves as a blueprint to guide the
government, non-governmental organizations, academe, and the private sector in a
coordinated effort to reduce all forms of malnutrition, this proposed legislative
measure seeks to expand the functions and scope of the NNC. This bill will further
support their commitment to ensure improved access to quality nutrition and
related interventions through formulation and coordination of policies and programs
with excellence, integrity, and transparency.

In view of the foregoing, the urgent passing of this bill is earnestly sought.

Aiken

RALPH WENDEL P. TULFO JOCELYYP, ‘O
Representative Represehtati:
2m District of Quezon City ACT-CIS Partylist

5 Pazzibugan, Dona Z, “S-year plan to fight malnutrition formed”, Inquirer.net,
butps://newsinfo. inquirer. net/1826601/5-year-plan-to-fight-malnutrition-
formed#:~:text-MANILA%2C%20Philippines*%20—"620A%20five-
.children®%2C%20officials%20said%200n"20Monday.



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

‘TWENTIETH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

House Bill No. 4085

INTRODUCED BY REPRESENTATIVES RALPH WENDEL P. TULFO
AND JOCELYN P. TULFO

AN ACT STRENGTHENING THE NATIONAL NUTRITION COMMISSION,
REPEALING FOR THE PURPOSE PRESIDENTIAL DECREE NO. 491,
ENTITLED “CREATING A NATIONAL NUTRITION COUNCIL AND FOR
OTHER PURPOSES”

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

SECTION 1. Short Title. - This Act shall be known as the “Nutrition Act of 2025”.

SEC. 2. Declaration of Policy. - \t is hereby declared the policy of the State to
promote, propagate, and develop further the framework for expanding the National
Nutritional Council which aims to protect the health and well-being of the general
population especially toddlers and senior citizens. In addition, it is also a declared
policy of the State under Article Il, Section 15 of the 1987 Constitution to ensure and
guarantee the right of the Filipinos to health and instill health consciousness among

them.

In several international commitments, the State commits to the development of the
nation’s health sector and its social protection programs consistent with the principles
embodied in the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, the
Convention on the Rights of the Child, and the Convention on the Eradication of All

Forms of Discrimination against Women. Therefore, the State ensures to:

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(a) Provide good nutrition;

(b) Ensure food security;

(©) Eliminate hunger;

(d) End all forms of malnutrition;

(©) Improve the quality of life;

(0) Prioritize nutrition for all age groups; and

(g) Collaborate across all branches of the government, local government units, civil
society organizations, and private sectors to guarantee improved human health
and well-being.

SEC. 3. Definition of Terms. - For purposes of this Act, the following terms shall be
defined as follows:

(a) Nutrition refers to the process of providing or obtaining the food necessary for
health and growth;

(b) Malnutrition refers to the lack of proper nutrition, caused by not having enough
to eat, not eating enough of the right things, or being unable to use the food that

‘one does at;

(©) Hunger refers to a status of an individual whose food intake regularly provides

less than their minimum energy requirements;

(d) Food Security refers to an incidence where people, at all times, have physical and
economic access to sufficient, safe, and nutritious food that meets their dietary

needs and food preferences for an active and healthy life;

(e) Urban Poor refers to the situation wherein people live below a certain amount of

income in the city and have limited access to some social means; and


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(©) Non-Government Organizations refer to non-stock, non-profit organizations duly
registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission, focusing on the
upliftment of the basic or disadvantaged sectors of society by providing
advocacy, training, community organizing, research, access to resources, and
other similar activities, as defined in Republic Act No. 8425, otherwise known as
the “Social Reform and Poverty Alleviation Act”.

SEC. 4. Renaming of the National Nutritional Council. - The nomenclature of the
National Nutrition Council which was established pursuant to Presidential Decree No.
491, as amended, is hereby changed to the “National Nutrition Commission”,
hereinafter referred to as the “Commission”, which shall be attached to the Office of the

President for general direction and coordination.

SEC. 5. Composition of the Commission. - The Commission shall be headed by a
Chairperson with the rank of Cabinet Secretary and two (2) Commissioners with the
rank of Undersecretary. The Chairperson and the Commissioners shall be citizens and
residents of the Philippines, of good moral character, of recognized probity and
independence, and must have distinguished themselves professionally in public, civic,
or academic service in the fields of health and nutrition. They must have been in the
active practice of their professions for at least ten (10) years.

SEC. 6. Terms of Office. - The term of office of the Chairperson and the
Commissioners shall be six (6) years without reappointment. Of the first set of
appointees, the Chairperson and first commissioner appointed shall hold office for six
(6) years and the second commissioner appointed shall serve for a term of four (4) years.
In case a vacancy occurs before the expiration of the term of office, the appointment to
such vacancy shall only be for the unexpired term of the predecessor. The Chairperson
and the Commissioners shall enjoy the security of tenure and shalll not be suspended or
removed from office, except for just cause as provided by law. At the expiration of the

term of the Chairperson or in case of vacancy, the most senior of the Commissioners


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shall temporarily assume and perform the duties and functions of the Chairperson until
a permanent Chairperson is appointed by the President.

SEC. 7. Powers, Functions, and Responsibilities of the Commission. - The powers,

functions, and responsibilities of the Commission are as follows:

(@) To formulate an integrated and multi-sectoral national policy, programs,
activities, and projects on nutrition and food to ensure good nutrition, eliminate

hunger, and food security;

(b) To supervise, coordinate, monitor, and evaluate the implementation of its
projects, programs, and activities undertaken by all agencies and
instrumentalities of both the government and private sector concerning nutrition
and food. It shall coordinate with the National Disaster Risk Reduction and
Management Council and the Department of Social Welfare and Development
(DSWD) to ensure proper nutrition and food during emergencies and disasters;

(©) To provide technical assistance to increase the competencies and capabilities of
stakeholders and health workers through the conduct of public education,
capacity building, skills development, and advocacy;

(d) To establish a continuing program for information dissemination and awareness;

(©) To create and maintain a system for nutrition surveillance with a gender
perspective;
( To coordinate the release of public funds for nutrition and food in accordance

with the approved projects, programs, and activities;

(g) To coordinate all requests for loans and grants by the government agencies
involved in the nutrition and food program;


1 (h) To provide monetary and non-monetary incentives to nutrition champions by
2 establishing a rewards and recognition system; and
a (i) To call on any department, bureau, agency, and other instrumentalities of the
5 government for assistance in the form of personnel, resources, and facilities as the
6 need arises.
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8 SEC. 8. Provisional Members and Linkages. - The Commission, upon call, shall have
9 the support, assistance, and coordination of the following provisional members:

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11 (a) Undersecretaries of the following government bodies:

12 (1) Department of Health (DOH);

13 (2) Department of Agriculture;

4 ) Department of the Interior and Local Government;

15 (4) Department of Education (DepEd);

16 (6) DSWD;

7 (6) Department of Trade and Industry;

18 (7) Department of Labor and Employment;

19 (8) Department of Science and Technology;

20 (9) Department of Budget and Management;

21 (10) National Economic and Development Authority;

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23 (b) Presidents of the Leagues of Local Government Units:

24 (1) League of Provinces;

25 (2) League of Cities;

26 (3) League of Municipalities;

27 (4) Liga ng mga Barangay;

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29 (©) Maximum of three (3) representatives from any of the following private sector:
30 (1) Health and nutrition professional organizations;
31 (2) Farmer and fisherfolk;


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@) Women;

(4) Children;

(8) Urban poor;

(6) Food manufacturing;

(7) Academe and research institutions;

(8) Organization or association of community; and

(9) Non-government organizations (NGOs).

The Commission and the provisional members shall sit en banc to approve the
Philippine Plan of Action for Nutrition (PPAN) and for another purpose as may be
determined by the Chairperson.

The provisional members shall have the honoraria of Ten Thousand Pesos
(PhP10,000.00) or five percent (5%) of their respective basic salaries, whichever is higher
per meeting.

SEC. 9, Philippine Plan of Action for Nutrition. - A ten-year multi-sectoral and
integrated national nutrition plan of action shall be developed and formulated by the
‘Commission in coordination with NGOs and relevant government agencies, such as the
DOH, DSWD, and DepEd, among others. The PPAN should be aligned with the
Philippine Development Plan (PDP).

In developing the PPAN, the policies, principles, and programs embodied in the PDP
(Ambisyon 2040), Food Fortification Law (Republic Act No. 8976), An Act for Salt
Iodization Nationwide (Republic Act No. 8172), Nutrition and Dietetics Law of 2016
(Republic Act No. 10862), Masustansiyang Pagkain Para sa Batang Pilipino Act
(Republic Act No. 11037), Kalusugan at Nutrisyon ng Mag-Nanay Act (Republic Act
No. 11148), and all relevant laws on the nutrition and food security to be enacted
hereafter must be considered.


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The said plan must have measurable targets for ending malnutrition and
undernutrition after ten (10) years of its implementation. The PPAN must be concurred
in by its provisional members. The PPAN must be submitted to the Office of the
President for direction and coordination.

SEC. 10. Nutrition Month, - The month of July shall be designated as “Nutrition
Month” for the purpose of creating greater awareness among our people on the
importance of nutrition. The Commission shall formulate and approve programs and
activities for Nutrition Month which should be coordinated across all sectors, whether
public or private.

SEC. 11. Donations. - The Commission shall be authorized to receive donations,
grants, or gifts in whatever form and from whatever sources: Provided, That said grants,
gifts, or donations shall be administered, obligated, and disbursed in accordance with
the terms of the grant or donation and in such manner as the Commission may in its

discretion determine.

SEC. 12. Retention of Personnel; Security of Tenure; Upgrading of Positions and
Salaries. - All existing permanent personnel of the National Nutrition Council shall not
be adversely affected by this Act. They shall continue in office and shall not be removed
or separated from the service, except for cause as provided by existing laws. Further,
the present positions and salaries of personnel shall be upgraded to the level of their
counterparts in a department set-up. The Commission shall hire such other personnel
as may be necessary for the performance of its functions.

SEC. 13. Transitory Provisions. - In consonance with the above provision, the
incumbent Executive Director and Deputy Executive Directors shall serve as the first
Chairperson and Commissioners upon the effectivity of this Act.


SEC. 14. Appropriations. - The State shall hereby provide the initial amount
necessary for the organizational and operational requirements of this Act. Thereafter,
the amount necessary to carry the provisions of this Act shall be included in the General
Appropriations Act of the year following its enactment into law and thereafter.

SEC. 15. Separability Clause. - If any provision of this Act is held unconstitutional
or invalid, all other provisions hereof not affected thereby shall remain valid.

SEC. 16. Repealing Clause. - Presidential Decree No. 491, as amended by Executive
Order No. 234, s. 1987, Administrative Order No. 88, s. 1988, and Executive Order No.
427, s. 2005, is hereby repealed. All other laws, executive orders, executive issuances, or
letters of instructions, or any part thereof inconsistent with or contrary to the provisions
of this Act, are hereby deemed repealed, amended, or modified accordingly.

SEC. 17. Effectivity. - This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its publication
in the Official Gazette or in a newspaper of general circulation.

Approved,