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

‘TWENTIETH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

HOUSE BILL NO. 3125 _

Introduced by Representative JB BERNOS

AN ACT
PROVIDING A FRAMEWORK TO PROTECT AND PROMOTE THE RIGHT TO
ADEQUATE FOOD

EXPLANATORY NOTE
The Sustainable Development Goal 2 aims to achieve “zero hunger.” Officially,
the goal aspires to “end hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition and
promote sustainable agriculture.” As a long-standing international human right to
which many countries are committed, a number of countries have developed and
implemented constitutional amendments, national laws, strategies, and programs that

aim at the fulfillment for all of the right to food.

The right to adequate food can contribute to the transformational change by
creating synergies within the existing policy environment, in each context, to enhance
coherence across relevant sectors. In the 2020 State of Food Security and Nutrition in
the World Report, the Philippines recorded the greatest number of food insecure people
in Southeast Asia, with 59 million Filipinos suffering from moderate to severe lack of
consistent access to food. In 2019, Republic Act No. 11291 otherwise known as the
“Magna Carta for the Poor”, was signed into law, which recognizes “right to adequate

food, decent work, relevant and quality legislation and Adequate Housing and Highest

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attainable standard of health”; but as of yet, the Philippines still has no established

national legal framework on food security and nutrition (FSN).

‘The purpose of the filing of this Bill is to create that national legal framework to
serve as guiding principles for future policies and programs pertaining to food security
and nutrition. As a bona fide member of the Food and Agriculture Organization, this is
the fulfillment of our obligations to ensure that achieve food security for all and make
sure that people have regular access to enough high-quality food to lead active, healthy

lives. In view of the foregoing, the immediate passage of this Bill is earnestly sought.



Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Quezon City, Metro Manila

‘TWENTIETH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

3125

HOUSE BILL NO.

Introduced by Representative JB BERNOS

AN ACT
PROVIDING A FRAMEWORK TO PROTECT AND PROMOTE THE RIGHT TO
ADEQUATE FOOD

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 “Right to Adequate
Food Act.”

Sec. 2. Declaration of Policy. Consistent with the principles enshrined in the
Constitution as well as the provisions of the International Covenant on Economic, Social
and Cultural Rights, Convention on the Rights of the Child, and the Convention
on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women, to which the
Philippines is a State Party, it is hereby declared the policy of the State to guarantee
the right to adequate food.

Adequate food is not a matter of charity, but a legal entitlement. Hunger is
inconsistent with human dignity and human rights, and must be eliminated. Towards
this end, the State shall provide for a framework to address and eliminate hunger in
an organized manner, and protect the right of the people to adequate food.

Sec. 3. Definitions. As used in this Act:
a. Dietary needs refer to a mix of nutrients for physical and mental growth,

development and maintenance, and physical activity, that follow human
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physiological needs at all stages throughout the life cycle, and according to
gender and occupation;

b. Food refers to solid, liquid and semi-liquid nourishment, as well as drinking
water, and when taken into the body serves to nourish, build and repair tissues,
supply energy, or regulate body processes;

¢. Food blockade refers to an act of cutting off food supplies from a particular
area by force, either in part or totally;

d. Food emergency refers to a situation in which access to food is endangered,
as that caused by natural events like drought, floods, storms, earthquakes, or
crop failures resulting from pests or diseases; or by human agency such as
internal or international armed conflict; or infectious disease outbreaks or
pandemics, such as Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) and COVID-
19

e. Food sovereignty refers to the right of people to healthy and culturally
appropriate food produced through ecologically sound and sustainable
methods, and their right to define their own food and agriculture systems, putting
the aspirations and needs of those who produce, distribute and consume food
at the heart of food systems and policies rather than the demands of markets
and corporations;

ff Hunger refers to a condition in which people do not get enough food to eat
to provide the necessary nutrients for fully productive, active and healthy living
due to the unavailability and inaccessibility of food, which may be (a) acute, such
as during a major disaster when food supply channels are cut, (b) chronic,
when people are regularly not getting enough food to conduct an active life for a
long time, or (c) a condition of starvation, which is not having enough food of any
sort to eat, or (4) undernourishment, which is having enough food to eat, but

of inadequate quality; and

g. Vulnerable groups refer to those who are particularly disadvantaged such
as indigenous peoples, ethnic, linguistic or religious minorities, persons with
disabilities, persons living with Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) or
Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS), refugees and internally displaced

2


people, elderly, women, including pregnant and lactating mothers and children,
particularly those from zero to twenty-three (23) months of age.

Sec. 4. Progressive Realization of the Right to Adequate Food. Every person has
the right to have regular, permanent and unrestricted access, either directly or by
means of financial purchases, to quantitatively and qualitatively adequate, sufficient
and safe food, corresponding to the cultural traditions of the people to which a consumer
belongs, and which ensure physical and mental, individual and collective, fulfilling and
dignified life, free of fear.

‘The right to adequate food is realized when every man, woman and child, alone or in
community with others, have physical and economic access at all times to adequate
food, or means for its procurement. The right to adequate food must not be interpreted
in a narrow or restrictive sense, which equates it with a minimum package of calories,
proteins and other specific nutrients. The right to adequate food must be realized

progressively.

Sec. 5. Core Content on the Right to Adequate Food. The core content of the right
to adequate food includes the concepts of food availability and accessibility, which must
be in a quantity and quality sufficient to satisfy the dietary needs of individuals, and in
ways that are sustainable, and do not interfere with the enjoyment of other human

rights.

Sec. 6. Food Adequacy Standard. Central to the realization of the right to
adequate food is the standard of adequacy in terms of quality, quantity and
cultural acceptability, sustainability of food availability and access.

‘The standard of adequacy includes a number of factors which must be considered
in determining whether particular foods or diets that are accessible can be considered
the most appropriate under given circumstances. Sustainability is intrinsically linked to
the concept of adequate food or food security, implying that food must be accessible to
both present and future generations.

‘The concept of adequacy to a large extent is determined by prevailing social,
economic, cultural, climatic, ecological and other conditions, while sustainability
incorporates long-term availability and accessibility.


Sec. 7. Availability Standard. Food must be available for feeding oneself directly
from productive land or other natural resources, or for well-functioning distribution,
processing and market systems that can move food from the site of production to where
it is needed in accordance with demand.

Sec. 8. Accessibility Standard. Food accessibility is both economic, which refers
to the acquisition pattern or entitlement through which people procure their food, and
physical, where food must be accessible to everyone.

Economic accessibility means that the personal or household financial cost
associated with the acquisition of food for an adequate diet should be at a level such that
the attainment and satisfaction of other basic needs are not threatened, or
compromised. Economic accessibility applies to any acquisition pattern or entitlement
through which people procure their food, and is a measure of the extent to which it is
satisfactory for the enjoyment of the right to adequate food.

Physical accessibility means that adequate food must be accessible to everyone,
including physically vulnerable individuals, such as infants and young children,
elderly people, those belonging to the informal sector, the physically disabled, the
terminally ill and persons with persistent medical problems, including the mentally

ill. Victims of natural disasters, people living in disaster-prone areas and other
specially disadvantaged groups, and many indigenous peoples groups whose access to
their ancestral lands is threatened, need special attention and priority consideration
with respect to accessibility of food.

Socially vulnerable groups such as landless persons and other particularly
impoverished segments of the population may need attention through special

programs.

Sec. 9. Cultural or Consumer Acceptability. In providing food, there is a need to
consider, as far as possible, the perceived non- nutrient-based values attached to food,
and the consumer's concerns on the accessible food supplies.

Food must be free from adverse substances to ensure food safety. Measures must be
taken to maintain, adapt or strengthen dietary diversity and appropriate consumption
and feeding patterns, including optimal breast-feeding, to ensure that changes in
availability and access to food supply do not negatively affect dietary composition and


intake. Care must also be taken to identify and avoid or destroy naturally occurring

toxins.

Freedom from adverse substances implies that the requirements for food safety and
a range of protective measures are implemented to prevent contamination of foodstuff
through adulteration, bad environmental hygiene, or inappropriate handling at different
stages throughout the food chai:

Sec. 10. Conditions for the Exercise of the Right to Adequate Food. Every
person has the right to live in conditions that shall enable the person to:

a. Acquire food directly from productive land or other natural resources; or rely
on well-functioning food distribution, processing and market systems, or both;

b. Financially acquire a sufficient quantity and quality of food and to satisfy other
basic needs;

c. Be safe from the risk of losing access to food, as a consequence of sudden
shocks, like an economic or climatic crisis, or one that is brought about by
internal displacements of people, or cyclical events, such as seasonal food
insecurity;

d. Have the opportunity of good food utilization through access to adequate diet,
clean water, sanitation and health care and to reach a state of nutritional well-
being, where all physiological needs are met; and

€. Access food or diet that is the most appropriate under given circumstances,
in terms of their nutritional value and cultural acceptability.

Every infant, girl and boy, has a right to adequate food and to optimal health,
development and nutrition adequate for their age, growth and development.

Every woman has a right to adequate food and adequate nutrition during pregnancy
and lactation.

Unless it is provided by law, or is necessary for the purpose of a compelling public
interest, and is compatible with the nature of the right to adequate food, there is no
limitation on the right to adequate food.

Sec. 11. Freedom from Hunger. Every person has a right to be free from hunger.
Every person suffering from hunger or under nutrition, or at risk of suffering from
5


hunger or under nutrition is entitled to a minimum amount of food according to one's
age, sex, health status and occupation, as provided for in Section 19 of this Act.

Sec. 12. Principles. The provisions of this Act are founded on the rights-based
principles of participation, accountability, non-discrimination, transparency, human
dignity, empowerment and rule of law, and are consistent with the progressive
realization of the right to adequate food.

Sec. 13. Non-discrimination. Any distinction, exclusion or restriction made on the
basis of race, color, sex, age, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or
social origin, property, birth or other status, which has the effect or purpose of impairing
or limiting the capacity of an individual to exercise the right to adequate food, is unlawful
and shall be sanctioned in accordance with law.

All forms of discrimination against women with regard to the right to adequate food,
including less favorable treatment of women for reasons of pregnancy and maternity,
shall be eliminated and prevented. The equality of opportunities between men and
women shall be promoted.

The prohibition of discrimination shall not include government action to remedy past
effects of discrimination against particular individuals or groups and to promote equality
of opportunities with regard to the right to adequate food.

Sec. 14. Governmental Obligations. The State, as the primary duty bearer, has
the duty to respect, protect and fulfill the right to adequate food and maintain food
sovereignty, in accordance with the conditions provided under Section 10 of this Act.

The State has the core obligation to take the necessary action to mitigate and
alleviate hunger, even in times of natural or other disasters. The right to be free from
hunger ensures a minimum daily nutritional intake and the bare survival 01 a person.
‘The right to adequate food goes beyond freedom from hunger.

a. Respect - the State has the obligation not to interfere with or impair the
enjoyment of the right to adequate food. No public authority may deprive any
person of food or means for its procurement, apply laws and regulations, or
pursue a policy or practice, in a way that may result in preventing the enjoyment
of or infringing the human right to adequate food, or repeal formally or suspend
legislation necessary for the continued enjoyment of the right to adequate food.


b. Protect - the State has the duty to provide guarantees against threats and risks
stemming from private actors or societal forces that are controllable by State
action. It shall take preventive measures necessary to protect persons whose
capacities to access sufficient and adequate food or means for its procurement
are endangered by the acts of others. It also must review the relevant
administrative and legislative framework ensuring that activities within their
competence undertaken by private actors do not infringe on the right to adequate
food of others.

cc. Fulfill-the State shall facilitate the enjoyment of the right to adequate food by
adopting or pursuing appropriate policies and measures that promote the human
right to adequate food and to create and maintain conditions under Which every

person can freely and regularly enjoy the right to adequate food.

Sec, 15. Targets. The State shall ensure that in two and a half years (2 1/2) after
the effectivity of this Act, the incidence of hunger is reduced by twenty-five percent
(25%), from the level recorded at the time of the passage of this Act: Provided, That five
(5) years after the effectivity of this Act, such incidence of hunger will be further reduced
by twenty-five percent (25%): Provided, further, That in seven and a half (7 1/2) years,
the incidence of hunger will be further reduced by twenty-five percent (25%): Provided,
finally, That in ten (10) years, there shall be zero hunger incidence.

‘The State shall also ensure that within ten (10) years from the effectivity of this Act,
land devoted to food production is increased to fifty percent (50%) of all prime
agricultural land in every region, and, within the same period, the State shall ensure
that the following indicators are considerably and steadily increased:

a. Percentage development of ancestral lands;

b. Percentage of rural population with access to productive means;

c. Share of budget spent on programs aimed at creating access to productive
resources;

d. Percentage of budget spent on agri-research, agri-extension, irrigation,
training, technology, credits and rural development;

e. Percentage of rural female-headed households, or rural women, with legal title
to agriculture lands;


f. Percentage of public budget allocation for social transfer programs to those
unable to feed themselves;

g, Coverage of marginalized and disadvantaged population taking part in social
transfer programs

hh. Percentage of marginalized and disadvantaged population covered by a public
nutrition supplement program;

|. Percentage of population aware of available food and nutrition programs; and
j. Coverage of school feeding programs.

The percentage rates used as indicators herein shall also be stipulated in the

rules and regulations issued to implement the provisions of this Act.

Periodic reviews shall be undertaken to ensure compliance with set targets. In
the implementation of this Act, priority shall be given to identify areas with chronically
mainourished population. in measuring the incidence of hunger, the key primary data
sources will include national nutrition surveys, household surveys of the Philippine
Statistics Authority (PSA), namely the Family Income and Expenditure Survey and the
Annual Poverty Indicators Survey, and global hunger indices as benchmarks.

Sec. 16. Institutional Responsibilities. The following agencies of the government
are required to fulfil their respective mandates in a manner that shall ensure full

implementation of the primary objectives of this Act:
a, Department of Agriculture (DA)
b. Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR)
c. Department of Budget and Management (DBM)
d. Department of Education (DepEd)
¢. Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR)
{. Department of Health (DOH)
g. Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG)
h. Department of Justice (DOJ)
i, Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE)

j. Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH)


k. Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD)

Department of Science and Technology (DOST)

m, Department of Trade and Industry (DTI)
n, Commission on Human Rights (CHR)

0. Commission on Higher Education (CHED)

p. National Anti-Poverty Commission (NAPC}

q. National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA)

r. National Food Authority (NFA)

s. National Nutrition Council (NNC)

t. Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA)

u. other agencies and instrumentalities of the government whose functions are
necessary for the efficient and effective implementation of the right to adequate
food.

In addition, the development of a fully integrated whole-of-government approach to
implement the national policy governing the right to adequate food and the use of a
human rights-based approach for the establishment and implementation of the national
policy must be institutionalized.

Sec. 17. Commission on the Right to Adequate Food. There is hereby created a
Commission on the Right to Adequate Food, hereinafter referred to as the Commission,
which shall be attached to the Office of the President.

The Commission shall be the primary policy-making and coordinating body to
guarantee full exercise of the light to adequate food. It shall exercise monitoring and
oversight functions, apply human rights principles, conduct objective impact
assessment on all government policies, programs and projects prior to adoption and
implementation, work in close cooperation, and coordination with relevant government
agencies and in consultations with civil society organizations and the private sector, and
use all available resources for the efficient and effective implementation of this Act.

It shall formulate a national food policy consistent with the policy formulated by the
Inter-Agency Task Force on Zero Hunger. The Commission shall implement programs of


action to eradicate hunger, achieve food security, improve nutrition, and promote

sustainable agriculture.

‘The Commission on the Right to Adequate Food shall have the following powers:

a.

f£.

Sec.

Receive complaints of violations of the right to adequate food from
individuals and groups;

Investigate, motu propio, or upon complaint by any party, all forms of
violations of the right to adequate food;

Adopt operational guidelines and rules of procedure, and cite for
contempt individuals and groups for their violations in accordance with the
Rules of Court;

Provide appropriate legal measures for the protection of the right to adequate
food of all persons within the Philippines, as well as Philippine citizens
residing abroad, and provide for preventive measures and legal aid services
to the under-privileged whose right to adequate food has been violated or
needs protection;

Establish a continuing program of research, education and information to
enhance respect for the primacy of the right to adequate food;

Recommend to Congress effective measures to promote the right to
adequate food, to harmonize existing laws affecting the right to adequate
food, to ensure their complementation, and the availability of remedies
for violations and compensation to victims of violations of the right to
adequate food;

Monitor the Government's compliance with its obligations in regard to the
right to adequate food;

Request the assistance of any department, bureau, office or agency in
the performance of its functions;

Appoint officers and employees in accordance with law; and

Perform such other duties and functions as may be provided by law.

18. Composition. The Commission is composed of a chairperson and two (2)

members who must be natural-born citizens; at least thirty-five (35) years of age, at the

10


time of their appointment; and must not have been candidates for any elective position
in the elections immediately preceding their appointment. At least one (1) of them must
be a member of the Philippine Bar.

The Chairperson and members of the Commission shall not, during their tenure,
hold any other office or employment. Neither shall they engage in the practice of any
profession, or in the active management or control of any business which, in any- way,
may affect the functions of their office, nor shalll they be financially interested, directly
or indirectly, in any contract with, or in any franchise or privilege granted by the
government, any of its subdivisions, agencies, or instrumentalities, including
government-owned or controlled corporations or their subsidiaries.

The Chairperson and members of the Commission shaft be appointed by the
President and shall not be reappointed to another term. From among the members, one
(1) shall serve as the chairperson and shall hold office for ten (10) years, another member
shall be appointed as Commissioner for seven (7) years, and another shall be appointed
Commissioner and shall serve for five (5) years, without reappointment. A member who
shall be appointed to fill a vacancy shall serve only the unexpired portion of the term
of the predecessor. In no case shall any member be appointed or designated in a
temporary or acting capacity.

‘The Chairperson and members of the Commission shall receive the same salary,
benefits, privileges and emoluments of a cabinet secretary and undersecretary,
respectively.

See. 19. Standards on the Amount of Food. Within one (1) year from the effectivity
of this Act, the Commission shall, in consultations with the DSWD, DILG, NNC and the
DOH, issue guidelines on the minimum amount of food for persons who are suffering
from hunger or undernourishment, or are at risk from suffering from hunger or
undemourishment, but who cannot take care of their own needs, due to reasons beyond
their control, including children whose parents die or disappear, or otherwise no longer
take care of them, elderly, and persons with disabilities. The guidelines include:

1) The exact quantity of calories, proteins and micronutrients, to which the
minimum amount of food will correspond, according to the age, sex, health status
and occupation of a person;

nu


2) A simple and accessible application or certification procedure for the minimum
amount of food entitlement with transparent, fair and non-discriminatory eligibility
or certification criteria; and

3) Relief mechanisms to ensure that such individuals are provided with their

minimum food requirement.

Specific support measures shall be designed and adopted to prevent or compensate
for disadvantages of the identified vulnerable persons or groups suffer from, with regard
to the enjoyment of their right to adequate food.

Sec. 20. Emergencies. The Commission in coordination with the National Disaster
Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) shall:

a. Provide food emergency responses which sufficiently cover both early warning
responses and disaster preparedness in case of a crisis; and organize and manage
food responses efficiently and effectively;

b, Ensure that food supply responses are compatible with the right to adequate
food and international standards regulating emergencies; and

¢. Initiate requests for international assistance in case of necessity, and
supervise arid coordinate properly the distribution of food to intended recipients.

Sec. 21. Information Dissemination. All government agencies, under the direction
of the Commission in coordination with the Philippine News Agency (PNA) and Philippine
Information Agency (PIA), shall:

a. Inform the population about the rights established in this Act and the
implementing rules and regulations adopted upon its passage into law and other
measure taken for the purpose of facilitating and promoting the realization of the
right to adequate food;

b. Use the most appropriate ways and methods of disseminating information by
providing information through all media forms, and in local languages, notably in
the most marginalized areas and among populations with a high rate of illiteracy.

Sec. 22. Education and Awareness Program. The Commission, in coordination
with the DepEd, CHED and TESDA. shall ensure that:

a. School curriculum includes material related to food and nutrition education,
the right to adequate food and human rights principles; and

2


b. Relevant adult education and training programs shall include materials
related to food and nutrition, the right to adequate food and human rights
principles.

Sec. 23. International Cooperation. The Commission, in coordination with the

CHR and the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), shall:

a. Ensure that activities undertaken in other countries, including those by
private actors, do not infringe on the enjoyment of the right to adequate food by
people in the concerned countries. in coordination with DA, DTI, DOH and NEDA

and other relevant agencies;

b. Promote international cooperation and help ensure the realization of the right
to adequate food in other countries, if in a position to do so; and

c. Ensure that international and other agreements which the Philippine
Government centers into, consider the guarantee on the right to food.

Sec. 24. Monitoring and Evaluation System. There shall be an integrated
monitoring system that shall ensure that all government agencies at all levels, under
the supervision of the Commission on the Right to Adequate Food, shall:

a. Collect data related to food and nutrition security, using monitoring
methodologies and processes consistent with human rights principles;

b. Disaggregate collected data by age, sex, income, bracket, civil status and
ethnicity;
c. Monitor progress achieved in the realization of the right to adequate food; and

d. Establish or identify an early warning mechanism for food supply shortages

and emergencies

Sec. 25. Representation and Participation of People’s Organizations and Civil
Society. To guarantee public participation, the Commission shall ensure that:

a. All persons can freely and meaningfully participate in all forms of public
discourse, access information and exercise freedom of association, in relation
to the formulation and implementation of policies pertaining to the right to
adequate food;

b. Civil society and other stakeholders actively participate in the institutions
that oversee the realization of the right to adequate food, as well as in

B


formulating capacity building mechanisms and special measures for
disadvantaged groups; and

National public hearings are conducted every two (2) years, at which the
government is required to report on the progress made with the
implementation of this Act, and the progressive realization of the right to
adequate food in the country.

Sec. 26. Penal Provisions. The penalty of imprisonment of six (6) months and one
(1) day to six (6) years, or a fine of not less than One hundred thousand pesos
{P100,000.00) but not more than Five hundred thousand pesos (P500,000.00), or both,
at the discretion of the court, shall be imposed on any person who causes the starvation
or denial of the access to food of arty particular individual or group, through the

commission of any of the following facts:

a.

db.

e.

f

blockade
refusal to implement a food-related program;

discrimination in implementing a food-related program;

negligence in implementing food-related programs, resulting in death;
obstructing access to food in time of calamity or war,

theft, corruption or black marketeering of food being given as humanitarian

aid, in times of calamity or war;

g. distribution of expired, or unsafe food at a school feeding program or other
feeding program, in times of calamity or war;

h,

contamination of food or water sources, through mining activities, aerial

spraying of plantations, or any other similar means; and

i.

other analogous acts.

Provided That, the penalty is imposable without prejudice to any other criminal, civil
or administrative liability under existing laws. If the act committed is food blockade

during armed conflict, the penalty imposable shall be without prejudice to the

application of Republic Act No. 9851, or the “Philippine Act on Crimes against

International Humanitarian Law, Genocide and Other Crimes against Humanity,” and

other relevant laws.

“


Sec. 27. Civil and Administrative Liabilities. The government shall ensure the
enjoyment of the rights guaranteed in this Act and perform the duties provided for in
this Act. Appropriate cases may be filed before the courts to compel compliance with the
provisions of this Act. These cases shall be without prejudice to liability for damages
and administrative liability that may be incurred.

If the violator is a public official or employee, in addition to the penalty of
imprisonment or fine or both. the accessory penalty of perpetual absolute
disqualification to hold public office shall be imposed.

Sec. 28. Appropriations. There shall be an allocation in the annual budget
specifically for the purposes of the implementation of the right to adequate food, in
accordance with priorities set by the Commission on the Right to Adequate Food. The
allocation shall be aimed at the progressive realization of the right to adequate food over
the long term.

Sec. 29. Implementing Rules and Regulations. Within sixty (60) days from the
effectivity of this Act, the Chairperson of the Commission shall, in coordination with the
CHR, DA, DAR, DSWD, DOH, DTI, DPWH, NEDA, NNC and NAPC, and people’s
organizations and human rights non-governmental organizations, promulgate the
necessary rules and regulations for the effective implementation of this Act.

Sec, 30. Rationalization of Policies. All existing policies, laws, decrees, executive
orders, memorandum orders, memorandum circulars, administrative orders, and
ordinances shall be rationalized and interpreted in a way that shall guarantee the
realization of the right to adequate food as provided for by this Act.

Cabinet secretaries and other executive authorities involved in the implementation
of the right to adequate food shall report on a regular basis to the Commission on the
Right to Adequate Food on legislative and regulatory measures that have been
formulated and adopted, and the time frames within which they are envisaged to achieve

their objectives in order to achieve zero hunger.

Sec. 31. Separability Clause. If any part or provision of this Act is declared
unconstitutional, the remainder of this Act or any provisions not affected thereby shall
remain in full force and effect.

Sec. 32. Repealing Clause. All laws, decrees, executive orders, memorandum
orders, memorandum circulars, administrative orders, ordinances, or parts thereof,

15


which are inconsistent with the right to adequate food and the provisions of this Act,
are hereby demand repealed or modified accordingly.

Sec. 32. Effectivity. This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its publication
in the Official Gazette or in a newspaper of general circulation.

Approved,

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