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 CREATING FOOD BANKS IN EVERY CITY AND MUNICIPALITY TO 
PROVIDE A SYSTEM OF REDISTRIBUTING AND RECYCLING FOOD 
SURPLUS, PROMOTE FOOD SECURITY AND ACHIEVE ZERO HUNGER, 
AND APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREFOR 
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.” 
In a report published on Saturday, October 29, SWS said 11.3% of Filipino families – 
or around 2.9 million – had nothing to eat at least once in the past three months, almost 
similar to the 11.6% hunger rate in June 2022.1 
This proposed measure aims to create food banks in every city and municipality to 
provide a system of redistributing and recycling food surplus, promote food security 
and achieve zero hunger. 
The United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development identifies Goal No. 2, 
the ending of hunger and the achievement of food security, along with the improvement 
of nutrition and the promotion of sustainable agriculture. 
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://www.rappler.com/nation/hunger-rate-philippines-october-2022-social-weather-stations/ 
January 27, 2023
10:32 am
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1
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 CREATING FOOD BANKS IN EVERY CITY AND MUNICIPALITY TO 
PROVIDE A SYSTEM OF REDISTRIBUTING AND RECYCLING FOOD 
SURPLUS, PROMOTE FOOD SECURITY AND ACHIEVE ZERO HUNGER, 
AND APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREFOR 
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 “Food Bank 
Regulations Act.” 
SEC. 2. Declaration of Policy. – It is the policy of the State to promote 
the efficient use of the country’s food resources to end hunger and safeguard food 
security. The State recognizes the right of every person to sufficient, safe, quality, 
and nutritious food. 
Towards this end, the State shall adopt a system that promotes, facilitates, and 
ensures the reduction of food waste through redistribution and recycling. The 
massive amount of food waste and the considerable number of people going hungry 
daily may be significantly reduced by institutionalizing a zero food waste campaign 
program through the establishment of food banks all over the country and the 
regulation 
of 
the 
operations 
of 
these 
facilities. 
SEC. 
3. 
Definition 
of 
Terms. 
– 
As 
used 
in 
this 
Act: 
(a)
Edible 
food 
surplus 
refers 
to
excess 
food 
or 
surplus 
food 
in 
the 
retail and consumption stages, not sold in the ordinary course of business 
by 
food 
related-businesses, 
scheduled to 
be 
discarded, 
but 
determined 
to 
be 
fit 
for 
human 
consumption 
based 
on 
applicable 
standards 
of 
food 
quality 
and 
safety; 
(b)
Food
banks 
refer 
to 
non-profit, 
charitable 
or 
other 
social 
6944


2 
mission-driven 
organizations 
which 
are 
formed 
to 
procure, 
store 
and 
distribute 
surplus food 
from 
the 
farm 
producers 
or 
food-related 
businesses 
for 
distribution 
to 
the 
food 
insecure; 
 
(c) 
Food 
insecure refers 
to 
persons 
or 
group 
of 
persons 
who have no 
means 
or 
have 
difficulty 
producing 
or 
purchasing 
food to 
avoid 
hunger; 
 
(d) 
Food-related 
businesses 
refer 
to 
public 
and 
private 
businesses 
involved 
in 
the 
manufacture 
and 
processing 
of 
food 
products, 
private 
businesses 
involved 
in 
the 
wholesaling 
and 
retailing 
of 
food 
products, 
private 
businesses 
involved 
in 
serving 
cooked 
food 
products, 
and 
private 
institutions offering courses in the 
art 
and science of 
preparation, cooking 
and 
presentation 
of 
food; 
 
(e) 
Food 
waste 
reduction 
refers 
to 
the 
minimization 
of 
food 
waste 
by 
redistribution 
of 
edible 
food 
surplus 
to 
the 
food 
insecure 
and 
the 
recycling 
of 
inedible 
food 
waste 
into 
fertilizers 
and 
other 
useful 
by- 
product; 
 
(f) 
Inedible 
food 
waste 
refers 
to 
food 
discarded 
in 
the 
retail 
and 
consumption 
stages, 
determined 
to 
be 
unfit 
for 
human 
consumption, 
including pre-packaged 
food 
products 
that 
have 
gone 
beyond the 
declared 
expiry 
dates; 
and 
21 
(g) 
Waste 
management 
and 
recycling 
enterprises 
refer 
to 
organizations 
that 
manage 
inedible 
food 
waste 
by 
converting 
them 
into 
fertilizers 
and 
other 
useful 
by-product. 
 
SEC. 
4. 
Food 
Bank 
in 
Cities 
and 
Municipalities. 
– 
Food 
banks 
are 
established and maintained in every city and municipality all over the country for the 
collection, storage and delivery of edible food waste and the recycling of inedible food 
wastes. 
 
SEC. 
5. 
National 
Nutrition 
Council 
and 
Other 
Lead 
Agencies. 
– 
The 
National Nutrition Council (NNC) shall, in coordination with the Department of 
Social 
Welfare 
and 
Development 
(DSWD), 
Department 
of 
Agriculture 
(DA), 
Department 
of 
Health 
(DOH), 
the 
Department 
of 
Environment and 
Natural 
Resources (DENR), the Department of Education (DepEd), the Department of Trade 
and Industry (DTI), the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), 
the National Anti-Poverty Commission, other concerned agencies and the different 
local government units(LGUs), undertake the national zero hunger and food waste 
campaign program to raise awareness on the impact of and strategies to propagate 
food waste reduction, promote redistribution of edible food surplus and recycling of 
inedible 
food 
wastes.  
 
To educate the younger generation on the importance of the zero hunger and 
food waste campaign, the DepEd shall ensure that the prescribed curriculum 


3 
includes 
informative 
materials 
on: 
 
(a) 
Current 
global 
and 
national 
food 
waste 
reduction 
platforms; 
(b) 
Systems 
and 
approaches 
to 
minimize 
food 
surplus; 
(c) 
National and 
local 
food 
surplus 
prevention and 
repurposing 
programs; 
(d) 
Food 
recovery 
techniques 
and 
best 
practices; 
and 
(e) Other initiatives relevant to this Act. 
1 
SEC 6. Powers and Functions of the NNC. – In addition to the existing 
powers and functions provided by Presidential Decree No. 491, Series of 1974, as 
amended, 
the 
NNC 
shall: 
5 
(a) 
Provide 
technical 
assistance 
to 
non-profit, 
charitable 
or 
other 
social 
mission-driven 
organizations 
operating 
food 
bank 
facilities 
in 
the 
procurement 
of 
wholesome, 
safe 
and 
edible 
food 
surplus from 
the 
food- 
related 
businesses; 
 
(b) 
Conduct 
research 
studies 
for 
the 
development 
and 
advancement 
of 
scientific 
methods 
and 
techniques 
in 
the 
collection, 
storage 
and delivery 
of edible 
food surplus and the 
recycling of inedible 
food 
waste; 
 
(c) 
Upgrade 
skills 
of 
concerned 
government 
personnel 
by 
providing 
them 
with 
sufficient 
trainings 
in 
the 
collection, 
storage 
and 
delivery 
of 
edible food 
surplus and 
the 
recycling of 
inedible food waste; 
 
(d) 
Promote 
awareness 
of 
the 
general 
public 
on 
matters 
relating 
to collection, storage and delivery of edible food surplus and the recycling 
of 
inedible 
food 
waste; 
 
(e) 
Formulate 
measures 
and 
policies 
for 
the 
collection, 
storage 
and 
delivery 
of 
edible 
food 
surplus 
and 
the 
recycling 
of 
inedible food 
waste; 
 
(f) 
Issue 
rules 
and 
regulations 
in 
the 
operation 
of 
food 
banks 
and 
ensure 
that 
food 
banks 
are 
compliant 
with 
international 
standards, 
with 
emphasis 
on 
the 
facilities, 
equipment 
and 
manpower 
trainings; 
 
(g) 
Periodically 
assess 
the 
progress 
of 
the 
national 
zero 
hunger 
and 
zero 
food 
waste 
campaign 
program 
of 
the 
government 
and 
submit 
necessary 
policy recommendations to 
the 
Secretary 
of 
the 
DSWD 
and to 
Congress 
to 
improve 
and 
strengthen 
the 
program, 
if 
necessary; 
and 
 
(h) 
Perform 
any 
other 
acts 
necessary 
and 
indispensable 
for 
the 
effective 
implementation 
of 
this 
Act. 
 
SEC. 7. Distribution of Edible Food Surplus. – The following steps shall be 


4 
observed 
to 
facilitate 
distribution 
of 
edible 
food 
surplus: 
 
(a) 
Owners 
of 
food 
related 
businesses 
covered 
under 
this 
Act 
shall 
segregate 
the 
edible 
food 
surplus 
from 
the 
inedible 
food 
wastes; 
 
(b) 
Food 
manufacturers 
may 
opt 
to 
perform 
the 
segregation 
of 
their 
products at the supermarkets that sell their products in order to timely pull 
out food in containers that are physically damaged, smashed, swollen, rusted 
or corroded; 
food in containers with tainted, tarnished or unreadable labels; 
and any similar condition which may render the food unsafe; 
(c) 
Designated 
inspectors 
from 
the 
food 
quality 
and 
safety 
regulatory 
agencies or the LGU shall evaluate the edible food surplus to ensure its fitness 
for 
human 
consumption; 
and 
 
(d) 
Food 
banks accredited 
by 
the DSWD 
shall distribute 
the edible food 
surplus 
to 
the 
food 
insecure 
as 
identified 
by 
the 
LGUs. 
 
SEC. 
8. 
Determination 
of 
Food 
Insecure. 
– 
The 
DSWD 
shall, 
in 
coordination with the LGUs provide the criteria for the determination of the food 
insecure 
person 
or 
group 
of 
persons. 
 
SEC. 
9. 
Food-related 
Business 
Waste 
Reduction 
Strategy. 
– 
Food- 
related businesses such as food manufacturers, supermarkets, restaurants, cafeterias, 
and 
hotels 
shall: 
 
(a) 
Submit 
an 
annual 
report 
to 
the 
NNC 
and 
DSWD 
containing 
the 
amount 
of 
its 
edible 
food 
surplus 
and 
inedible 
food 
waste, 
organized 
according 
to 
the 
manner 
of 
disposal, 
including 
donation, 
composting 
or 
discarding; 
 
(b) 
Enter 
into 
contract 
with 
food 
banks 
to 
redistribute 
edible 
food 
surplus 
to 
the 
food 
insecure; 
 
(c) 
Shoulder the 
costs 
of 
transporting 
edible 
food 
surplus from 
business 
location 
to 
the 
food 
bank 
facilities 
or 
distribution 
center; 
 
(d) 
Ensure 
that 
edible 
food 
surplus 
is 
unadulterated 
and 
fit 
for 
human 
consumption 
upon 
arrival 
at 
the 
food 
bank's 
distribution 
center; 
 
(e) 
Enter 
into 
contract 
with 
waste 
management 
and 
recycling 
enterprises for the recycling of inedible food wastes 
into fertilizer or 
other 
useful 
by-product; 
and 
 
(f) 
Shoulder 
the 
costs 
of 
transporting 
inedible 
food 
waste 
from 
collection areas to waste management and recycling sites. 


5 
 
SEC. 
10. 
National 
Zero 
Food 
Waste 
Scheme. 
– 
As 
the 
coordinating 
agencies between the food businesses and food banks, the NNC and DSWD shall 
perform 
the 
following 
schemes: 
(a) 
Provide 
guidelines 
and 
standards 
for 
the 
collection, 
storage, 
and 
distribution 
of 
edible 
food 
surplus 
donated 
to 
food 
banks; 
 
(b) 
Maintain 
records 
of 
contracts 
entered 
into 
between 
food- 
related 
businesses 
and 
food 
banks 
with 
the 
corresponding 
issuance 
of 
accreditation 
certificates 
to 
food-related 
businesses; 
 
(c) 
Promote 
linkages 
between 
food 
banks 
and 
LGUs 
to 
create 
a 
community-based 
food 
distribution 
system 
for 
the 
food 
insecure; 
and 
 
 
(d) 
Create 
a 
self-sufficiency 
program 
that 
will 
provide 
the 
food 
insecure 
with 
skills 
training 
on 
managing 
food 
banks 
and 
livelihood 
programs 
to 
avoid 
the 
dependence 
on 
donation 
solely. 
 
SEC. 
11. 
Household 
and 
Local 
Government 
Unit 
Food 
Waste 
Reduction 
Strategy. 
– 
LGUs 
are 
required 
to: 
 
(a) 
Submit to 
NNC an 
annual report 
that 
contains data 
on 
the amount 
of inedible food wastes in their area which were recycled into raw material for 
fertilizers 
or 
other 
useful 
by-product; 
 
(b) 
Initiate 
waste 
segregation 
effort 
per 
household, 
ensuring 
that 
inedible food wastes are not mixed with garbage, through local campaigns; 
 
(c) 
Enter 
into 
contract 
with 
waste 
management 
and 
recycling 
enterprises to 
recycle inedible food waste from 
households into fertilizer or 
other 
useful 
by-product; 
and 
 
(d) 
Shoulder 
the 
costs 
of 
transporting 
inedible 
food 
waste 
from 
collection 
areas 
to 
waste 
management 
and 
recycling 
sites; 
and 
 
(e) 
Facilitate 
the 
distribution 
of 
fertilizer 
or 
other 
useful 
by-product 
of 
inedible 
food 
wastes 
to 
farms 
or 
community 
gardening 
associations. 
 
SEC. 
12. 
Training 
of 
Sanitary 
Inspectors. 
– 
The 
NNC 
shall, 
in 
coordination with the University of the Philippines College of Public Health and the 
LGUs, conduct regular trainings on the proper handling, collection, distribution and 
determination of edible food surplus and inedible food wastes, including the 
microbiology and parasitology of 
food contaminants, food 
quality and safety 
standards, 
and 
food 
safety 
regulations 
under 
existing 
laws. 
 
SEC. 
13. 
Prohibited 
Acts. 
– 
It 
shall 
be 
unlawful 
for 
any 
person 
to: 


6 
 
(a) 
Repack 
and 
distribute 
for 
sale 
food 
and 
other 
goods 
intended 
for 
donation, redirect 
or 
prevent 
food 
surplus or 
donations from 
reaching the 
intended 
recipients, 
and 
derive 
profits 
as 
a 
result 
thereof; 
 
(b) 
Deliberately 
contaminate 
or 
cause 
any 
act 
that 
makes 
the 
food 
surplus unfit for 
donation and 
human consumption, resulting in 
an 
injury 
or 
death 
of 
a 
recipient; 
 
(c) 
Commit 
gross 
negligence 
or 
serious 
misconduct 
in 
the 
handling, 
preparation 
or 
distribution 
of 
donated 
food 
surplus, 
directly 
resulting 
in 
the 
injury 
of 
a 
recipient; 
and 
 
(d) 
Commit 
gross 
negligence 
or 
serious 
misconduct 
in 
the 
handling, 
preparation 
or 
distribution 
of 
donated 
food 
surplus, 
directly 
resulting 
in 
the 
death 
of 
a 
recipient. 
 
SEC. 
14. 
Penalties.  
(a) Imprisonment ranging from six (6) years and one (1) day to twelve (12) 
years 
or 
a 
fine 
of 
not 
less 
than 
One 
hundred 
thousand 
pesos 
(P100,000.00) 
nor 
more 
than 
Three 
Hundred 
thousand 
pesos 
(P300,000.00) 
or both, for any person found guilty of violating Section 12, 
sub-sections 
(a) 
and 
(d) 
of 
this 
Act; 
 
(b) 
Imprisonment 
ranging 
from 
Twelve 
(12) 
years 
and 
one 
(1) 
day 
to 
Twenty (20) years or a fine of not less than Three hundred thousand pesos 
(P300,000.00) 
nor 
more 
than 
Five 
hundred 
thousand 
pesos 
(P500,000.00) 
or both, for any person found guilty of violating Section 12, 
sub-section (b) 
of 
this Act, 
if 
the 
unlawful act 
resulted 
in 
multiple less 
serious 
physical 
injuries 
or 
serious 
physical 
injury; 
or 
 
An imprisonment ranging from Twenty (20) years and one (1) day to Forty 
(40) years or a fine of not less than Five hundred thousand pesos (P500,000.00) nor 
more than One million pesos (P1,000,000.00) or both, for any person found guilty of 
violating Section 12, sub-section (b) of this Act, if the unlawful act resulted in 
multiple 
serious 
physical 
injuries 
or 
death; 
and 
 
(c) 
Imprisonment 
of 
six 
(6) 
months and 
one 
(1) 
day 
to 
six 
(6) 
years 
or a fine of not less than Fifty thousand pesos (P50,000.00) nor more than 
One hundred thousand pesos 
(P100,000.00) 
or both, 
for any person found 
guilty 
of 
violating 
Section 
12, 
sub-section 
(c) 
of 
this 
Act. 
 
If the offender is a corporation or 
an association, the president, manager, 
managing partner, or any officer of the corporation or association who directly 
participated in the violation of Section 12 of this Act shall be held liable. 
 
If 
the person found guilty is a 
public officer, in addition to 
the criminal 


7 
liabilities imposed under this Act, the public officer shall be dismissed from the 
service and perpetually disqualified from holding public office. In addition, the 
public officer shall also be administratively held liable under existing laws, rules and 
regulations. 
  
SEC. 
15. 
Periodic 
Review. 
– 
The 
NNC, 
in 
coordination with 
all 
other 
implementing agencies, shall submit an annual report to Congress for the assessment 
of 
the 
progress 
and 
implementation 
of 
this 
Act.  
 
SEC. 
16. 
Implementing 
Rules 
and 
Regulations. 
– 
Within 
sixty 
(60)  
days from the effectivity of this Act, the NNC, in coordination with the DSWD, DOH,  
DA, and all other relevant government agencies, shall issue the necessary rules and 
regulations 
for 
the 
effective 
implementation 
of 
this 
Act.  
 
SEC. 
17. 
Appropriations. 
– 
The 
amount 
necessary 
for 
the 
initial 
implementation of this Act shall be charged against the current budgets of the NNC,  
DSWD, DOH, DOST, and DA. Thereafter, the funds necessary for the continuous 
implementation of this Act shall be included in the respective budgets of the 
aforementioned agencies in the annual General Appropriations Act. 
SEC. 18. Repealing Clause. – All laws, decrees, executive orders and rules 
and regulations contrary to or inconsistent with the provisions of this Act are hereby 
repealed 
or 
modified 
accordingly. 
 
SEC. 19. Effectivity. – This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its 
publication in the Official Gazette 
or in a newspaper of general circulation. 
 
Approved,