Republic of the Philippines 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
Quezon City 
EIGHTEENTH CONGRESS 
Third Regular Session 
HOUSE BILL No.  ____________________ 
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________ 
Introduced by HON. RUTH MARIANO-HERNANDEZ 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
In its key findings, the World Bank-sponsored International Development in Focus 
publication on  Undernutrition in the Philippines: Scale, Scope, and Opportunities for 
Nutrition Policy and Programming1 published on June 15, 2021 has among others, 
stated the following: 
➢Undernutrition is, and has always been, a serious problem in the Philippines;
➢For nearly thirty years, there have been almost no improvements in the
prevalence of undernutrition in the Philippines. One in three children (29%)
younger than five years old suffered from stunting (2019), being small in size for
their age;
➢The country is ranked fifth among countries in the East Asia and Pacific region
with the highest prevalence of stunting and is among the 10 countries in the
world with the highest number of stunted children;
➢There are regions with levels of stunting that exceed 40 percent of the
population. In Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao 45 percent
of children below five are stunted. In MIMAROPA its 41 percent. In the Bicol,
Western Visayas and  south-central Mindanao (SOCCKSARGEN) Regions it is 40
percent;
➢Micronutrient undernutrition is also highly prevalent in the Philippines: 38
percent among infants six to 11 months old; 26 percent among children 12–23
months; and 20 percent of pregnant women are anemic. Nearly 17 percent of
1 Mbuya, Nkosinathi V. N., Gabriel Demombynes, Sharon Faye A. Piza, and Ann Jillian V. Adona. Undernutrition 
in the Philippines: Scale, Scope, and Opportunities for Nutrition Policy and Programming. International 
Development in Focus. Washington, DC: World Bank. doi:10.1596/978-1-4648-1701-4. License: Creative 
Commons Attribution CC BY 3.0 IGO  https://www.worldbank.org/en/country/philippines/publication/-key-
findings-undernutrition-in-the-philippines  
September 30, 2021
12:48 am
10320


children aged 6–59 months suffered from vitamin A deficiency (2018), of which 
children aged 12–24 months had the highest prevalence (22 percent) followed 
by children aged six to 12 months (18 percent); 
➢The persistence of very high levels of childhood undernutrition, despite decades
of economic growth and poverty reduction, could lead to a staggering loss of the
country’s human and economic potential. A Filipino child with optimal nutrition
will have greater cognitive development, stay in school longer, learn more in
school, and have a brighter future as an adult, while undernutrition robs other
children of their chance to succeed;
➢The burden on the Philippine economy brought by childhood undernutrition was
estimated at US$4.4 billion, or 1.5% of the country’s GDP, in 2015;
➢The Impact of COVID-19 on hunger and undernutrition has made it even more
urgent for the Government of the Philippines to scale up its efforts to tackle
undernutrition;
➢Hunger in the Philippines rose sharply following the start of the pandemic. Social
Weather Stations (SWS) surveys show that in September 2020, after seven
months of community quarantine, 31 percent of families reported experiencing
hunger in the past 30 days, and 9 percent were suffering severe hunger—in both
cases, the highest levels recorded in more than 20 years;
➢The key determinants of undernutrition are multisectoral. At the immediate
level, a child becomes undernourished because of inadequate or inappropriate
food, health, and care; and,
➢At the basic level, poverty is one of the most important causes of undernutrition:
42.4 percent of children from households in the poorest income quintile are
stunted. Governance structures also pose significant challenges for the country’s
efforts to combat undernutrition.
While we do not lack good nutrition laws,  the challenge is in the implementation. Local 
government units are key to implementing such laws. Local government units (LGUs) 
have insufficient funding and lack full-time nutrition and health staff. 
Republic Act No. 7160, or the Local Government Code of 1991, provides a list of 
appointive officials common to LGUs. However, it does not explicitly include the 
appointment of a nutrition officer to take charge of nutrition services and programs 
of the government. 
The other prevailing laws that provide for nutrition program officials and personnel 
are Presidential Decree (PD) 491 (1974) that created the National Nutrition Council 
(NNC), Letter of Instruction 441 (1976) that is the basis of the Department of the 
Interior and Local Government (DILG) to establish functioning nutrition committees 
at different administrative levels (barangay, municipality, city, province, and region), 
and PD 1569 (1978) that strengthened the Barangay Nutrition Program by providing 
a Barangay Nutrition Scholar (BNS) in every barangay. 


In cognizance of this loophole, this bill seeks the mandatory appointment of a 
nutrition officer who shall head the nutrition office in provinces, cities and 
municipalities in the country, and focus on the planning, implementation and 
supervision of nutrition-specific programs and policies for the benefit of their 
respective constituents. 
This measure is a policy action to help address the decades-long challenge of reducing 
nutrition in the country as this will also  foster a strong and more coordinated 
partnership for nutrition between the national and local governments. 
It will also help strengthen the National Nutrition Council (NNC) by effectively 
mandating all local governments to secure adequate financing for personnel on the 
ground needed for existing and upcoming nutrition programs to run effectively and 
efficiently. 
For the foregoing reasons, the immediate consideration and passage of this bill is 
earnestly urged. 
HON. RUTH MARIANO-HERNANDEZ 
2ND DISTRICT, LAGUNA 


Republic of the Philippines 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
Quezon City 
EIGHTEENTH CONGRESS 
Third Regular Session 
HOUSE BILL No.  ____________________ 
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________ 
Introduced by HON. RUTH MARIANO-HERNANDEZ 
AN ACT 
PROVIDING FOR THE MANDATORY APPOINTMENT OF A NUTRITION OFFICER IN 
ALL PROVINCES, CITIES AND MUNICIPALITIES IN THE COUNTRY, AMENDING FOR 
THE PURPOSE REPUBLIC ACT NO. 7160, AS AMENDED, OTHERWISE KNOWN AS 
THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT CODE OF 1991  
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in Congress 
assembled: 
SECTION 1. Section 443, Book III, Title Two, Chapter 2 of Republic Act No. 7160, is 
hereby amended to read as follows: 
“SEC. 443. Officials of the Municipal Government. — (a) There shall be in 
each municipality a municipal mayor, a municipal vice-mayor, 
sangguniang bayan members, a secretary to the sangguniang bayan, a 
municipal treasurer, a municipal assessor, a municipal accountant, a 
municipal budget officer, a municipal planning and development 
coordinator, a municipal engineer/ building official, a municipal health 
officer, and a municipal civil registrar. A municipal cooperatives 
development officer (CDO) shall also be appointed: Provided, That the 
municipality has the option to appoint a full-fledged CDO or merge 
related such position to an existing position or official in an office, unit 
or department in the municipal government: Provided, further, That if 
the municipality shall appoint a full-fledged CDO, the municipality has 
the option to set the rank, remuneration and other emoluments of the 
municipal CDO subject to existing laws, rules, and regulations.  
A MUNICIPAL NUTRITION OFFICER (MNO) SHALL ALSO BE 
APPOINTED: PROVIDED, THAT THE MUNICIPALITY HAS THE 
OPTION TO SET THE RANK, REMUNERATION AND OTHER 
10320


EMOLUMENTS OF THE MNO SUBJECT TO EXISTING LAWS, RULES, 
AND REGULATIONS.  
 
 
“(b) x x x 
 
“(c) x x x 
 
“(d) x x x 
 
“(e) x x x.” 
 
 
SECTION 2. Section 454, Book III, Title Three, Chapter 2 of Republic Act No. 7160, is 
hereby amended to read as follows: 
“SEC. 454. Officials of the City Government. — (a) There shall be in each 
city a mayor, a vice-mayor, sangguniang panlungsod members, a 
secretary to the sangguniang panlungsod, a city treasurer, a city assessor, 
a city accountant, a city budget officer, a city planning and development 
coordinator, a city engineer, a city health officer, a city civil registrar, a 
city administrator, a city legal officer, a city veterinarian, a city social 
welfare and development officer, and a city general services officer. A 
city CDO shall also be appointed: Provided, That the city has the option to 
appoint a full fledged CDO or merge such position to an existing position 
or official in a related office, unit or department in the city government: 
Provided, further, That if the city shall appoint a full fledged CDO, the city 
has the option to set the rank. remuneration and other emoluments of 
the city CDO subject to existing laws, rules, and regulations; 
A CITY NUTRITION OFFICER (CNO) SHALL ALSO BE APPOINTED: 
PROVIDED, THAT THE CITY HAS THE OPTION TO SET THE RANK, 
REMUNERATION AND OTHER EMOLUMENTS OF THE CNO SUBJECT 
TO EXISTING LAWS, RULES, AND REGULATIONS.  
 
“(b) x x x 
 
“(c) x x x 
 
“(d) x x x 
 
“(e) x x x.” 
 
SECTION 3. Section 463, Book III, Title Four, Chapter 2 of Republic Act No. 7160, is 
hereby amended to read as follows: 
“SEC. 463. Officials of the Provincial Government. — (a) There shall be in each 
province a governor, a vice-governor, members of the sangguniang panlalawigan. 
a secretary to the sangguniang panlalawigan, a provincial treasurer, a provincial 
assessor; a provincial accountant, a provincial engineer, a provincial budget 
officer, a provincial planning and development coordinator, a provincial legal 
officer, a provincial administrator, a provincial health officer, a provincial social 


welfare and development officer, a provincial general services officer, a provincial 
agriculturist, and a provincial veterinarian. A provincial CDO shall also be 
appointed: Provided, That the province, in the appointment of a full fledged CDO 
shall set the rank, remuneration and other emoluments of the provincial CDO 
subject to existing laws, rules, and regulations. 
A PROVINCIAL NUTRITION OFFICER (PNO) SHALL ALSO BE 
APPOINTED: PROVIDED, THAT THE PROVINCE HAS THE OPTION TO 
SET THE RANK, REMUNERATION AND OTHER EMOLUMENTS OF THE 
PNO SUBJECT TO EXISTING LAWS, RULES, AND REGULATIONS.  
 
“(b) x x x 
 
“(c) x x x 
 
“(d) x x x 
 
“(e) x x x.” 
 
 
SECTION 4. A new Article shall be inserted in Book III Title V of Republic Act No. 7160 
to read as follows: 
 
ARTICLE XXI 
THE NUTRITION OFFICER 
 
 
SECTION  491. QUALIFICATIONS, POWERS AND DUTIES –  
 
A) NO PERSON SHALL BE APPOINTED NUTRITION OFFICER UNLESS HE OR 
SHE IS A CITIZEN OF THE PHILIPPINES, A RESIDENT OF THE LOCAL 
GOVERNMENT UNIT CONCERNED, OF GOOD MORAL CHARACTER, AND A 
REGISTERED NUTRITIONIST-DIETICIAN. HE OR SHE MUST HAVE 
ACQUIRED EXPERIENCE IN THE PRACTICE OF HIS OR HER PROFESSION 
FOR AT LEAST FIVE (5) YEARS IN THE CASE OF THE PROVINCIAL OR 
CITY NUTRITION OFFICER, AND THREE (3) YEARS IN THE CASE OF THE 
MUNICIPAL NUTRITION OFFICER. 
 
THE APPOINTMENT OF A NUTRITION OFFICER SHALL BE MANDATORY 
FOR PROVINCIAL, CITY AND MUNICIPAL GOVERNMENTS. 
 
B) THE NUTRITION OFFICER SHALL HAVE THE FOLLOWING DUTIES AND 
RESPONSIBILITIES: 
 
1) TAKE CHARGE OF THE OFFICE ON NUTRITION SERVICES, SUPERVISE 
THE PERSONNEL AND STAFF OF SAID OFFICE, FORMULATE 
PROGRAM 
IMPLEMENTATION 
GUIDELINES 
AND 
RULES 
AND 
REGULATIONS FOR THE OPERATION OF THE SAID OFFICE FOR THE 
APPROVAL OF THE GOVERNOR OR MAYOR, AS THE CASE MAY BE, IN 
ORDER TO ASSIST HIM OR HER IN THE EFFICIENT AND EFFECTIVE 
IMPLEMENTATION OF A NUTRITION SERVICES PROGRAM GEARED 


TO IMPLEMENTATION OF NUTRITION-RELATED PROJECTS AND 
ACTIVITIES IN COORDINATION WITH THE NATIONAL NUTRITION 
COUNCIL (NNC); 
 
2) FORMULATE MEASURES FOR THE CONSIDERATION OF THE 
SANGGUNIAN AND PROVIDE TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE AND SUPPORT 
TO THE GOVERNOR OR MAYOR, AS THE CASE MAY BE, IN CARRYING 
OUT NUTRITION ACTIVITIES; 
 
3) DEVELOP PLANS AND STRATEGIES AND UPON APPROVAL THEREOF 
BY THE GOVERNOR OR MAYOR, AS THE CASE MAY BE, IMPLEMENT 
THE SAME, PARTICULARLY THOSE WHICH HAVE TO DO WITH 
NUTRITION PROGRAMS AND PROJECTS WHICH THE GOVERNOR OR 
MAYOR IS EMPOWERED TO IMPLEMENT AND WHICH THE 
SANGGUNIAN IS EMPOWERED TO PROVIDE FOR UNDER THIS CODE; 
 
4) IN ADDITION TO THE FOLLOWING DUTIES AND FUNCTIONS, THE 
NUTRITION OFFICER SHALL : 
 
I)  FORMULATE AND IMPLEMENT POLICIES, PLANS, PROGRAMS  AND 
PROJECTS TO PROMOTE THE NUTRITION OF THE PEOPLE IN THE 
LOCAL GOVERNMENT UNIT CONCERNED; 
 
II) ADVISE THE GOVERNOR OR MAYOR, AS THE CASE MAY BE, AND 
THE SANGGUNIAN ON MATTERS PERTAINING TO NUTRITION; 
 
III) EXECUTE AND ENFORCE LAWS AND REGULATIONS RELATING TO 
NUTRITION; 
 
IV) RECOMMEND TO THE SANGGUNIAN, THROUGH THE LOCAL 
HEALTH BOARD, THE ENACTMENT OF SUCH ORDINANCES AS HE 
OR SHE MAY DEEM NECESSARY FOR THE DELIVERY OF 
NUTRITION-RELATED SERVICES; 
 
V) CONDUCT NUTRITION INFORMATION CAMPAIGNS; AND, 
 
VI) IN THE CASE OF THE PROVINCIAL NUTRITION OFFICER, EXERCISE 
GENERAL 
SUPERVISION 
OVER 
NUTRITION 
OFFICERS 
OF 
COMPONENT CITIES AND MUNICIPALITIES, IN COORDINATION 
WITH THE NNC. 
 
SECTION 2.  Implementing Rules and Regulations  -  Within ninety (90) days from the 
promulgation of this Act, the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG), in 
coordination with the Civil Service Commission (CSC), shall promulgate the rules and 
regulations necessary for the effective implementation of this Act. 
 
SECTION 3.  Repealing Clause -  All laws, decrees, executive orders, rules and 
regulations, memorandum circulars, or issuances, including Presidential Decree 491 s. 
1974, Presidential Decree 1569 s. 1978  and Letter of Instruction 441 s. 1976 or parts 


thereof, inconsistent with the provisions of this Act are hereby repealed or modified 
accordingly. 
 
SECTION  4.   Separability Clause  -  If any part, section or provision of this Act shall be 
held invalid or unconstitutional, the other provisions not affected thereby shall remain 
in full force and effect. 
 
SECTION 5.  Effectivity Clause  -  This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its full 
publication in the Official Gazette or in at least two (2) newspapers of general 
circulation. 
 
Approved.