Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City, Metro Manila

SIXTEENTH CONGRESS
Third Regular Session

House Bill no, 60622

Introduced by Representative Leni Gerona-Robredo

EXPLANATORY NOTE

Article 25, Section 1 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights states that
“Everyone has the right to a standard of living adequate for the health and well-being
of himself and of his family, including food.” As a signatory of the international policy,
the Philippines commits to provide every Filipino access to adequate food and
nutrition and to ensure that every family has a way to raise their income above the
poverty threshold.

Furthermore, our own Constitution requires the State to ensure that the health of the
people is cared for and health-consciousness is instilled in them. Various
government programs currently address hunger and malnutrition in the country but
these are not enough. We cannot eradicate hunger without integrating anti-hunger
measures with mechanisms that alleviate poverty

Today, we have the freedom of speech and expression, the freedom to make our
‘own choices, and the freedom to better ourselves. Sadly, many of our countrymen
cannot fully enjoy these freedoms because they lack access to basic needs. This
situation robs the human dignity of our people. Senator Ninoy Aquino once said,
“The very first freedom that has to be won is freedom from hunger. When you are
always concerned about where the next meal will come from, everything else
becomes irrelevant.” This makes the eradication of hunger and poverty one of our
topmost priorities.

This bill specifies actions the State must take to combat hunger and poverty,
including the institutionalization of a National Feeding Program, the streamlining of
food procurement and food distributions systems, and the creation of a structured
demand that ensures and raises the income of poor people, who are mostly small-
scale food producers incapable of competing with big industry producers, in the hope
that the produce that free Filipinos from hunger are the same produce that free our
people from poverty.

In view of the foregoing, passage of this bill is urgently sought

Leni Gerona 4 Robredo
Representative, Third District of Camarines Sur


Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City, Metro Manila

SIXTEENTH CONGRESS
Third Regular Session

6062

House Bill no.

Introduced by Representative Leni Gerona-Robredo

AN ACT CREATING A SYSTEM OF FOOD DISTRIBUTION FOR ADDRESSING
THE NUTRITIONAL NEEDS OF THE PEOPLE PROVIDING FOR ITS
PROCUREMENT PROCESS AND APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREFOR AND
FOR OTHER PURPOSES

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 “National Food Security Act
of 2015”

Section 2. Declaration of Policy - It is, hereby, declared a policy of the State to
develop, create, and implement a nationwide feeding program to alleviate poverty
and hunger in the country. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights, ratified by
the Philippines, states everyone has the right to a standard of living adequate for the
health and well-being of himself and of his family, including food. Furthermore, the
Constitution states “The State shall protect and promote the right to health of the
people and instill health consciousness among them.”

Chapter |
National Feeding Program

Section 3. National Feeding program — There is, hereby, established a National
Feeding Program which shall aim to alleviate hunger and malnutrition for children
ages 0 — 13 years old

Section 4. Creation of a National Hunger Targeting System — The Philippine
Statistics Authority (PSA) in coordination with the Department of Social Welfare and
Development (DSWD) and Department of Health (DOH) shall establish a nationwide
database that identifies groups and/or individuals that have the least access to
proper nutrition. The database shall identify the most vulnerable groups and/or
individuals to be listed as beneficiaries

Section 5. Infant feeding program - The DOH, in consultation with DSWD, shall
create a system of distribution through the Barangay Health Workers of food packets
for those targeted by the system created in this Act. The said food packets shall
supplement the nutritional and dietary needs of children ages 0 — 1 year olds.


Section 6. Supplementary Feeding Program — The DSWD shall ensure that
children ages 2 — 5 receive the proper nutrients and diet while under their care.
Beneficiaries shall be given meals that will meet their nutritional needs. The DSWD
may consult with the National Nutrition Council (NNC) to meet the proper nutritional
and dietary needs of the children. The following shall be the beneficiaries:

a) Children 2 - 4 years old in the Supervised Neighborhood Play (SNP) Area

b) Children 3 - 4 years old enrolled in Day Care Centers (DDC); and

©) Children 5 years old not enrolled in the Department of Education (DepEd)
preschool system but enrolled in DDCs.

Section 7. Elementary Feeding School Program — The DepEd shall ensure that
students from Kindergarten to Grade 4 are given the proper meals during school
hours. Such meals should contain the proper nutritional and dietary needs of
students. The DepEd shall consult the NNC nutritional and dietary specifics.

Chapter Il
Procurement

Section 8. Procurement of Produce — The Government is, hereby, mandated to
ensure that 30% or more of the supplies needed to implement the National Feeding
Program are procured from Small-Scale Producers.

Section 9. Registry of Small-Scale Producers — The DA shall keep and regularly
update a list of Small-Scale Producers. It shall use Registry for Basic Sectors in
Agriculture (RSBSA), Regional Field Office (RFO) list of beneficiaries, the Bureau of
Fisheries and Aquatic Resources’s National Program for Municipal Fisherfolk
Registration (BFAR FishR) for fisherfolk, and any other list it may deem necessary to
keep the registry up to date. Furthermore, the DA is required to coordinate with the
DSWD to cross-match and compare the registry with the DSWD’s National
Household Targeting System for Poverty Reduction (NHTS-PR) to avoid duplication
and redundancy.

Section 10. Procurement process for Small-Scale Producers — For the purposes
of this act, procurement from Small Scale producers shall be exempted from the
procurement process as stated in Republic Act No.9184, otherwise known as the
Procurement Law. Provided, small scale producers shall undergo Negotiated
Procurement Participation under the guidelines of the Government Procurement
Policy Board (GPPB) and specified under this act.

Section 11. Negotiated Procurement Participation — Small Scale Producers shall
enter a Negotiated Procurement with the government under the guidelines of the
GPPB when the following conditions are met:

a) DA Validation — certification from the DA and/or any of its tasked agency that
the individual or family is indeed included in the Registry of Small scale
farmers.

b) Produce/Product Sustainability — when participants have the ability to
continue to meet the demand for their produce or product for prolonged
periods of time, with or without government intervention


c) Community Enrichment — when there is a viable means of improving the well-
being of the community where the small scale farmers are situated. This
seeks to extend the benefits that may arise from the contract between the
small scale farmers and the government. The goal is to achieve positive
outcomes such as like poverty reduction, access to education, equitable
distribution and management of natural resources, climate change
adaptation/mitigation, disaster risk reduction, gender equality, disease
reduction, and job generation, among others

Section 12. Support Services for Small-Scale Producers under the Department
of Agriculture — The DA shall institute the following benefits for Small-Scale
Producers as contained in their registry:

a) Training on Production, Harvesting, Procurement Process of this Act, and any
other topic the DA sees fit

b) Subsidized Farm Equipment

c) Facilities for storage and harvesting

d) Capacity Building for Small-Scale Farmer

e) Access to Crop Insurance

f) Access to credit/low interest rates

Section 13. Support Services for Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries who are Small-
Scale Producers - The Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) shall institute the
following benefits for Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries who are Small-Scale Producers
as contained in their list of beneficiaries;

Training on Production, Harvesting, Procurement Process of this Act, and any
other topic the DAR sees fit

b) Subsidized Farm Equipment

c) Facilities for storage and harvesting

d) Capacity Building for Small-Scale Farmer

e) Access to Crop Insurance

f) Access to credit/low interest rates

a)

Chapter Ill
Food Council

Section 14. National Food Security Council - A National Food Security Council,
hereafter referred to as Council, is hereby created as an attached and independent
agency to the Office of the President.

Section 15. Mandate of the Council - The Council is mandated to act as the check
and balance organization for the food security system. It shall oversee the effective
distribution, procurement, and targeting of beneficiaries as mandated in this Act. It
shall also serve as a coordinating body for the different departments involved in the
implementation of this Act.

Section 16. Chairperson of the Council - The Chairperson of the Council shalll be
appointed to a six year term by the President of the Philippines. No person may be
Chairperson if he has not met the following criteria:


30

35

45

a) Ten (10) years of work experience in a CSO involved in Food Security
b) Has no relatives, to the second degree of consanguinity, in the government
¢) Has good moral character

d) No pending cases

Section 17. Membership of the Council - The Council shall consist of the following
members:

a) Representative from the Department of Agriculture

b) Representative from the Department of Agrarian Reform

c) Representative from the Department of Social Welfare and Development

d) Representative from the Department of Interior and Local Government

e) Representative from the Department of Education

f) Representative from the Department of Health

g) Representative from the National Nutritional Council

h) Representative from the Department of Science and Technology - Food and
Nutrition Research Institute

i) Four (4) Representatives from Civil Society involved in Food Security or
Hunger alleviation

j) Four (4) Representatives from Small-Scale Producers group

Section 18. Representatives from Civil Society involved in Food Security or
Hunger Alleviation - The Representatives for for Civil Society shall be appointed by
the President of the Philippines upon the recommendation of the National Anti-
Poverty Commission. No Representative may be appointed or recommended if he
has not met the following criteria:

a) Five (5) years of service under a Civil Society Organization involved in Food
Security or Hunger Alleviation

b) Has no position in any government agency or office

c) Has no relatives, to the second degree of consanguinity, in the government

d) Has good moral character

e) No pending cases

Section 19. Representatives from Small-Scale Producers group - The
Representatives for Small-Scale Producers shall be appointed by the President of
the Philippines upon the recommendation of the Department of Agriculture. No
Representative may be appointed or recommended if he has not met the following
criteria

a) Five (5) years as a practicing Small-Scale Producer
b) Has no position in any government agency or office

c) Has no relatives, to the second degree of consanguinity, in the government
d) Has good moral character

e) No pending cases

Section 20. Appropriations — The funds needed to implement this Act shall be
included in the annual General Appropriations Act.


Section 21. Implementing Rules and Regulations. — Within sixty (60) days from
the appointment its members, the Council shall promulgate such rules and
regulations necessary for the effective implementation of this Act.

Section 22. Separability Clause. — If any provision of this Act is subsequently
declared invalid or unconstitutional, other provisions hereof which are not affected
thereby shall remain in full force and effect.

Section. 23. Effectivity. — This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its
publication in the Official Gazette or in a newspaper of general circulation