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Republic of the Philippines f P opnen ses
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES {3 Rei eau

Quezon City {

SEVENTEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

4365

HOUSE BILL No.

Introduced by BAYAN MUNA Rep. CARLOS ISAGANI T. ZARATE

AN ACT
TO PROTECT FILIPINO MOTHERS AND CHILDREN FROM MALNUTRITION
BY ESTABLISHING A MATERNAL AND CHILD HEALTH CARE PROGRAM
AND APPROPRIATING FUNDS FOR THE PURPOSE

EXPLANATORY NOTE

Research have shown that the first 1,000 days of a child’s life is most critical for growth and
development. This period, which corresponds to the time spanning roughly between conception
and the child’s second birthday provides a “unique period of opportunity” when according to
UNICEF, “the foundations of optimum health, growth, and neurodevelopment across the
lifespan are established.”!

However, in a developing country like the Philippines, where malnutrition continue to plague
the poor majority, these first 1,000 days, and the next days and years after, are not only missed,
but altogether neglected. Poverty, landlessness, food insecurity, joblessness coupled with long
time government neglect, big business exploitation and many other socio- economic factors
result to and maintain chronic malnutrition among the Filipino children and adults alike.

According to the National Nutrition Council’, among children below 5 years old, 2 in every 10
children are underweight, | in every 3 children is stunted, and 7 out of 100 children are wasted
or thin. Anemia affects 39 out of every 100 infants 6-11 months old, 25 out of every 100
pregnant women and 17 out of every 100 lactating women. Undernourished babies and
pregnant women are at high risk of dying. Further, undernourished pregnant women cannot
nurture the growing fetus, resulting to undernutrition among babies.

Malnutrition is responsible for almost half of all deaths of children under age 5; virtually all of
these deaths are preventable. Nearly 170 million children have had the growth of their young
bodies and brains stunted by chronic malnutrition. The damage caused by poor nutrition early
in life can be irreversible’.

2 Philippine Nutrition Situation, presented by the National Nutrition Council during the House Committee on
Health Briefing, October 12, 2016.
9 http://www hmbb.org/2014/03/1000-days-matter/


Malnutrition has not been adequately addressed in the Philippines, Supplementary feeding
programs by the DSWD and the DepED target children of two years and older, when children
are already in either Day Care or Elementary school. But these are not enough. The Philippines
missed its Millennium Development Goal of halving malnutrition to 13.6%. Malnutrition rate
in 2015 according to Food and Nutrition Research Institute is still high at 21.5%

Hence, what is needed is to address the immediate and other causes of malnutrition. These may
take a massive restructuring not only of the health care system but the socio-economic aspects
as well. A program to combat malnutrition during the first 1,000 days, specifically targeting
the poor population can be implemented to help reduce malnutrition at the critical stage of a
child’s development. The World Health Organization strongly recommends proper health care
on the first 1,000 days of a child, ‘The right nutrition during this 1,000 days has a profound
impact on the ability of the child to grow, learn and lead a long-term healthy and stable life.

This bill seeks to establish a mother and child health care program in every barangay, in order
to protect mothers and children from malnutrition. There is an imperative need to provide
prenatal and postnatal maternity care service to a pregnant woman in order to protect her health
as well as ensure the nutritional diet of her newborn child to eradicate malnutrition. The
program shall include early and exclusive breastfeeding; timely, safe, appropriate and high-
quality complementary food; and appropriate micronutrient interventions.

This is a counterpart bill of Senate Bill 161 filed by Senator Grace Poe in the Senate.

Intervention during the 1,000-day window is critical and deserves our urgent attention, thus
approval of this bill is earnestly recommended.

Approved,

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Bayan Muna Party-List

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Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City

SEVENTEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

4365

HOUSE BILL No.

Introduced by BAYAN MUNA Rep. CARLOS ISAGANI T, ZARATE

AN ACT
TO PROTECT FILIPINO MOTHERS AND CHILDREN FROM MALNUTRITION
BY ESTABLISHING A MATERNAL AND CHILD HEALTH CARE PROGRAM
AND APPROPRIATING FUNDS FOR THE PURPOSE

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 “First 1,000 Days Act.”

SECTION 2. Declaration of Policy. -It is hereby declared the policy of the State:
a) To equally protect the life of the mother and the life of the unborn from conception.

b) To recognize the right of the child to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard
of health, and the duty of the State to ensure that no child is deprived of his or her
tight of access to such health care services

For purposes of this Act, the “First 1,000 days” refers to the period starting from Day
One of a woman’s pregnancy, until the child reaches the age of two years.

SECTION 3. Establishing a First 1000 Days Program in every barangay. — The Department
of Health (DOH) shall, in coordination with the Department of Interior and Local Government
(DILG), the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), the National Nutrition
Council (NNC), and the Food and Nutrition Research Institute-Department of Science and
Technology (FNRI-DOST), develop a comprehensive health care program for pregnant and
lactating women as well as the health and nutrition of their newborn children from 1 to 1,000
days, in every barangay.

SECTION 4. Program Content. — The maternal and child health care services which may be
provided to eligible individuals during the 1,000-day period shall include the following:


) Instruction and counseling regarding future health care for the mother and child;

b) Nutrition counseling;

c) Milk-feeding program for pregnant and nursing mothers, including breastfeeding
for new-born children;

4d) Treating malnourished children with special and therapeutic foods;

e) General family counseling, including child and family development; and

f) Timely intervention through safe, appropriate and high-quality complementary
food.

SECTION 5. Implementing Rules and Regulations, - Within ninety (90) days from the
effectivity of this Act, the Secretary of Health shall, in coordination with the Secretary of the
Interior and Local Government, and Secretary of Social Welfare and Development and
representatives of recognized women’s and children’s organizations and academic

To carty out the provisions of this Act, such amount as may be
sary is hereby authorized to be appropriated from the National Treasury. Thereafter, the
amount necessary for the continuous operation of the Program shall be included in the annual
appropriation of the DOH.

SECTION 7. Separability Clause. - If any provision or part hereof is held invalid or
unconstitutional, the remainder of the law or the provision not otherwise affected shall remain
valid and subsisting,

SECTION 8. Repeating Clause. - Any law, presidential decree or issuance, executive order,
letter of instruction, administrative order, rule or regulation contrary to or inconsistent with any
provision of this Act is hereby repealed, modified, or amended accordingly.

SECTION 9. Effectivity Clause. -This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its
publication in at least two (2) newspapers of general circulation.

Approved,