Republic of the Philippines 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
Quezon City 
19TH CONGRESS 
First Regular Session 
HOUSE BILL NO. _______ 
Introduced by Honorable Michael L. Romero 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
The Republic of the Philippines cannot rely on importation to supplement its food 
needs. We must find a permanent and lasting solution to our recurring food 
supply shortage.  
Rice being the national food, deserves a special consideration. We must ensure 
a stable and sufficient rice production by involving as many stakeholders as 
possible in the agricultural sector. 
We must review the mandate and flow of operations of all our government 
agencies involved in the production and distribution of all our key food products 
(specially rice) to improve synergy in pursuant to the mandate of this House Bill. 
This House Bill envisions a highly acceptable and perpetual solution to the 
perennial problem on the supply of our key food products. It has been proven 
that the food supplies from overseas sources are very erratic and therefore very 
unreliable.  
Our farmers should be encourage to produce more to meet our domestic food 
demands, they should be provided with adequate support through irrigation, 
better seedlings, enhanced stocking, improved farm mechanization, and 
accessible and agricultural credits.   
Thus, the early passage of this bill is earnestly requested. 
July 1, 2022 
11:35 am
864


MICHAEL  L. ROMERO Ph.D. 


Republic of the Philippines 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
Quezon City 
19TH CONGRESS 
First Regular Session 
HOUSE BILL NO. _______ 
Introduced by Honorable Michael L. Romero 
AN ACT 
STRENGTHENING FOOD SECURITY, ESTABLISHING THE FOOD 
SECURITY COUNCIL, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in Congress 
Assembled: 
SECTION 1. TITLE – this act shall be known as the “FOOD 
SECURITY ACT OF 2022”. 
SECTION 2. DECLARATION OF POLICY – it shall be the policy of
the state to: 
1. Ensure sufficient grains and all other key products specifically those
manufactured from domestically land-based agricultural activities.
864


2. Promote reasonable prices specially during times of calamities and in all 
cases of emergency situations. 
3. Take the lead role in order to provide the necessary resources, planning, 
organizational and control systems to optimize the agricultural 
production. 
4. Provide the appropriate technical support, regulatory principles, and 
monetary guidelines. 
5. Initiate progress monitoring to all sectors actively involved. 
 
     
SECTION 3. MISSION AND VISION – to institutionalize all foregoing 
policies, the Republic of the Philippines shall focus all its development plans and 
programs towards the achievement of the following: 
• Improve the income of all farmers and agricultural communities; 
• Provide all the necessary subsidies and production support; 
• Organize inter-relationships among stakeholders within the food 
industry; 
• Maximize food supply efficiency; 
• Establish negotiability with integrity for all guarantees; 
• Development of guidelines to enhance transparency and competitiveness; 
• Adopt innovative techniques to reduce cost and improve quality; 
• Protect local farmers from the impact of globalization; 
• Enable local farmers to gain access to enhance post-harvest facilities; 
• Encourage the private sector to engage; 
• Enable the private sector to participate in this production; 
• Promote government guarantees; 
• Access capital market funding for food production;   
• Preserve strategic reserves of all key agricultural products;  
• Maintain a good buffer stock for all food essentials throughout the year; 
and 


• Maximize the production of all key food products.  
  
SECTION 4. IMPLEMENTING GUIDELINES: for purposes of this 
act, To execute the foregoing policy, there is hereby creating the FOOD 
SECURITY COUNCIL. This council shall have the overall authority and 
responsibility and accountability for crafting and formulating a comprehensive 
program for the implementation of these policies.  
 
The FOOD SECURITY COUNCIL shall be composed of the following: 
• Secretary – Department of Agriculture (chairperson) 
• Secretary – Department of Trade and Industry 
• Secretary – Department of Finance 
• President – Land Bank of the Philippines 
• Administrator – National Food Authority 
• Representative – Famers sector 
• Representative – Consumer sector 
• Representative – Private sector 
• Representative – Grains, Seeds sector  
• Representatives – Dominant Farmers Party list 
 
The Council shall formulate its own implementing rules and regulations 
to govern its proceedings. The Council shall choose its official home base, and 
organize a staffing protocol to aid and carry out its functions. 
 
SECTION 5. CAPACITY AND ROLE OF THE COUNCIL 


To engage and assure the Food Security Policy of the state, the Council shall 
have the following powers: 
1. To establish satisfying levels of annual inventory based on the 
appropriate calendar year for all key food products. Meeting the 
minimum indicated factors of the following: 
 
• Keeping the prices of all key food products stable; 
• Improving farmer’s income, ideal levels for production; 
• Identify the regions where productions are to be 
domestically produced or foreign sources if they are to be 
imported; 
• Indicate the strategic services for these key food products; 
and 
• Institutionalize the interaction and relations of the 
availability and supply of these key food products.  
 
2. To enforce and create, through agencies the appropriate 
standards of the following: 
 
• Transfer of these key food products; 
• Preservation; 
• Benchmark of practice and packaging; 
• Units of measurement; 
• Analysis and testing; 
• Specifications; 
• Inspection and sampling; 
• Storage; 
• Distribution and shipping; 
• Milling and drying; 
• Handling, hauling and grading 


 
3. To mandate the specific agencies to effectively seizure whenever 
there is improper acquisitions (hoarding, cornering) of these key 
food products. Including all facilities and machineries used; 
 
4. To authorize inspection by these specific agencies of these key 
products that are stored in private warehouses, for inventory; 
 
5. To implement monitoring and progress tracking of these key 
products for prices and stocks movement; 
 
6. To locate and encourage the creation of food terminal markets on 
a nationwide scale; 
 
7. To identify trading centers to serve as a conduit facility; 
 
8. To promote efficient distribution to all consumers; 
 
9. To promote a transparent marketing system; 
 
10. 
 To enhance the interest of more farmers and consumers; 
 
11. 
 To track the demand and supply indicators of these key food 
products. All imports and exports in coordination with the 
Bureau of Customs; 
 
12. 
  To monitor the impact on farmers’ income, their standards 
of living, and consumer prices in collaboration with the 
Department of Trade and Industry; 
 
13. 
 To create the appropriate implementing rules and regulations 
governing the importation of all key food products. 
 


14. 
 To establish an annual ideal inventory level, in the concept of 
licensing, and; 
 
15. 
 To prescribe penalties and fines for non-compliance. 
 
SECTION 6. APPROPRIATION 
The amount determined by the Food Security Council for the implementation of 
this Act shall be charged under the existing funding of the Department of 
Agriculture.  
Thereafter such amounts necessary for the successive and continuous 
implementation of this Act, including the operations maintenance of reserves 
shall be automatically appropriated in the General Appropriations Act. 
SECTION 7. REPEALING CLAUSE. All laws, executive orders, 
issuances, rules and regulations inconsistent with this Act are hereby amended, 
repealed or modified accordingly. 
SECTION 8. SEPARABILITY CLAUSE.  If, for any reason or 
reasons, any portion or provision of this Act shall be held unconstitutional or 
invalid, the remaining provisions not affected thereby shall continue to be in full 
force and effect. 
SECTION 9. EFFECTIVITY CLAUSE.  This Act shall take effect (15) 
days upon publication in at least two (2) newspapers of general circulation.  
 
Approved,