FOURTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE 
1 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES 
Second Regular Session 
Introduced by Senator Loren Legarda 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
Surveys show that hunger incidence among the Philippine poor is intensifying. In 2008, 
food prices skyrocketed to unprecedented levels, making foodstuffs even more difficult 
for the poor to purchase. So poor families usually resort to cheap, but usually 
unhealthy, food just to pacify their children’s pangs of hunger. This results in a vast 
majority ‘of poor children in low-income communities and depressed urban areas who 
are undernourished and sickly, preventing them from achieving their fullest potentials. 
While it is not the policy of the State to promote mendicancy among its populace, 
hunger and malnutrition among the poor are defeating the State’s policy of protecting 
and promoting the right to health of the people and and of instilling health 
consciousness among them.” 
Feeding the poor is a gigantic problem which the government is increasingly finding 
difficult to solve. Both the State and its citizens should therefore be grateful to 
nongovernmental organizations such as The Fortune Center and Children, Incorporated 
who administer feeding programs to the poor in low-income communities and 
depressed urban areas. This bill will assist these organizations in their feeding 
programs without promoting mendicancy among the citizenry. Although the 
government has several feeding programs, this bill calls for a concerted effort by the 
Department of Agriculture, Department of Social Welfare and Development, and 
Department of Health. Unlike other feeding programs, this bill will not only mitigate 
hunger among poor children and pregnant women but will also nourish them with 
fruits, vegetables and other healthy foodstuffs. 
This bill has the added benefit of assisting local farmers in selling their produce without 
the added cost of storage and of transportation to markets. 
In view of the foregoing, the passage of this bill is being earnestly sought. 
r-
LOREN LEGARDA 
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FOURTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE 
1 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES 
) 
Second Regular Session 
) 
9 FEB 11 A l i  28 
S E N A T E  
L 
S.B. No. 
Introduced by Senator Loren Legarda 
AN ACT 
MANDATING 
THE 
DEPARTMENT 
OF 
SOCIAL 
WELFARE 
AND 
DEVELOPMENT, DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE, AND DEPARTMENT OF 
HEALTH, TO COORDINATE WITH EACH OTHER AND ASSIST IDENTIFIED 
INCOME COMMUNITIES AND DEPRESSED URBAN AREAS TO PROMOTE 
INCREASED ACCESS 
TO 
AND 
CONSUMPTION OF 
FRESH 
FRUITS, 
VEGETABLES, AND OTHER HEALTHY FOODS AMONG CHILDREN AND 
PREGNANT WOMEN THEREIN AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in Congress 
assembled, 
COMMUNITY-BASED FEEDING ORGANIZATIONS OPERATING IN LOW- 
Section 1. Title - This Act shall be known as the ‘Healthy Food for Poor Children 
Program’. 
Section 2. Concevned Agencies - The Department of Social Welfare and 
Development (DSWD), Department of Agriculture (DA), Department of Health (DOH), 
and Department of Education (DepEd) (hereinafter collectively Concerned Agencies) 
shall jointly implement the provisions of this Act. They shall promote greater 
consumption of fresh fruits, vegetables, and other healthy foodstuffs in low-income 
communities and depressed urban areas. 
Section 3. Role of D A  - The Department of Agriculture (DA) shall identify 
farmers, farmers’ organizations from which fresh fruits, vegetables and other healthy 
foodstuffs are to be purchased. As much as practicable, the farmers and farmers’ 
organizations should be from the locality wherein the feeding program is to be 
administered. The farmers shall be chosen pursuant to a transparent and fair selection 
system which the Department of Agriculture shall craft and implement. 
Section 4. PYofitfor Earners - The farmers and farmers’ organizations shall be 
paid the market price of the fresh fruits, vegetables, and other healthy foodstuffs 
purchased from them by the DA. 
Section 5. Role of DOH - The DOH shall identify which fruits, vegetables, and 
other healthy foodstuffs are appropriate for the feeding programs in a locality and shall 
recommend these to the DA for purchasing. The DOH shall also train personnel or 
volunteers of recipients in the healthy preparation, cooking, and other healthy practices 
in the preparation of food to be administered in the feeding programs. 
1 


Section 6. Rule of 
DSWD - The DSWD shall identify community-based 
organizations who are to be the recipients of assistance by the Concerned Agencies. The 
recipients shall be administering a feeding program in a low-income community or in a 
depressed urban area. The assistance shall cover providing the organizations with fresh 
fruits, vegetables, and other healthy foods, cooking or preparation of food, manpower, 
training, and other expenses related to the purpose of this bill. 
Section 7. Rule of Recipients - The recipients must be assisted by the Concerned 
Agencies in carrying out one or more of the following activities: 
(1) Administering feeding programs of fresh fruits, vegetables and other 
healthy food stuffs, as identified by the Department of Health, to poor 
children of a low-income community or a depressed urban area. 
(2) Carrying out information campaigns and outreach activities to 
encourage families and their children to consume fresh fruits and 
vegetables and warn them of the health risks associated with high-calorie, 
high-sugar diet. 
Section 8. Separability Clause - If any part of this Act should hereafter be declared 
unconstitutional or invalid, such other parts not affected thereby shall continue in full 
force and effect. 
Section 9. Efectivify - This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its complete 
publication in at least two (2) newspapers of general circulation. 
Approved,