Republic of the Philippines

House of Representatives
Batasan Hills, Quezon City

Eighteenth Congress
First Regular Session

HOUSE BILL NO. Slee

Introduced by: Representative Florencio Gabriel G. Noel

EXPLANATORY NOTE:

The right of each and every Filipino to a healthy life is enshrined in the 1987
Philippine Constitution, specifically, Section 15, Article 2 which states:

“The State shall protect and promote the right to health of the people and
instill health consciousness among them.”

Based on a survey conducted by the Social Weather Stations (SWS) from 28 to 31
March 2019 9.5% or an estimated 2.3 million families experienced involuntary
hunger at least once in the past three months. The measure of hunger refers to
involuntary suffering experienced by Filipinos due to lack of available food to eat.
The hunger rate in March 2019 is one percentage (1%) point lower than the 10.5%
or estimated 2.4 million families in December 2018.' Although there has been a
significant decrease in the number of families that experience hunger, the State
envisions complete eradication of hunger incidence in the country.

It is time to strengthen the fight against hunger and food insecurity in the country.
This bill seeks to establish a nationwide drive to provide families who experience
involuntary hunger with food every breakfast, lunch and dinner everyday from

' First Quarter 2019 Social Weather Survey: Hunger incidence decreases to 9.5% of families accessed at:
https://www.sws.org.ph/swsmain/artcldisppage/?artcsyscode=ART-201904242 111854


Monday to Friday of the week. These feeding centers will be established, operated
and funded by the respective city or municipality, either on their own or with a non-

government organization (NGO).

Florencio Gabriel G. Noel
An-Waray Party-list Representative


Republic of the Philippines

House of Representatives
Batasan Hills, Quezon City

Eighteenth Congress
First Regular Session

5182
HOUSE BILL NO.

Introduced by: Representative Florencio Gabriel G. Noel

AN ACT ESTABLISHING FEEDING CENTERS IN EVERY CITY OR
MUNICIPALITY AND APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREFOR

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 “Free Meal Act of 2019”
SECTION 2. Declaration of Policy — It is the declared policy of the state to:

a. Protect and promote the right to health of the people and to instill
consciousness among them;

b. End hunger, achieve food security; and improve nutrition;

c. Institutionalize a concerted and focused approach to address the incidence of
involuntary hunger in the country

SECTION 3. Definition of terms — As used in this Act:
a. Involuntary Hunger refers to hunger that is not made by choice, but due to
either lack of food or lack of resources to obtain food leading to hungriness.
b. Food Insecurity refers to the state of being without reliable access to a
sufficient quantity of affordable, nutritious food.


c. Indigent Constituents refers to constituents of a city or municipality that is
unable to consistently obtain and provide the necessities of life such as food,
clothing and decent shelter.

SECTION 3. Establishment of Feeding Centers in each City or Municipality — Each
city or municipality, upon the effectivity of this Act, shall establish within their
respective localities a feeding center that would provide free meals every breakfast,
lunch and dinner from Monday to Friday of every week of the year. These feeding
centers shall only serve the indigent constituents.

SECTION 4. Proof of Indigency — In order to be able to receive free meals in each
feeding center, a person must possess a Certificate of Indigency from the city or
municipality where the person is currently domiciled. Such city or municipality shall
provide qualified persons with an identification (ID) card stating that the person is
in fact an indigent constituent of the said city or municipality. The process of
obtaining the said ID card shall be free of charge and must be shouldered by the
concerned city or municipality.

SECTION 5. Role of Cities and Municipalities — Each city or municipality shall:

a. Establish, operate and maintain a feeding center in their respective locality,
catering only to their indigent constituents who possess the Indigency ID card
issued by a city or municipality;

b. Ensure, prior to the issuance of the ID card, that such person is in fact an
indigent constituent;

c. Ensure that there is enough food to provide breakfast, lunch and dinner in their
respective Feeding Centers; and

d. Ensure that the food being provided in each Feeding Centers are safe to be
consumed.

SECTION 6. Appropriations — the amount necessary for the initial implementation
of this program shall be charged against the existing appropriations each city or
municipality. Thereafter, the amount needed for the continuous implementation of
this Act shall be included in the General Appropriations Act.

SECTION 7. Repealing Clause — All laws, decrees, executive orders, letter of
instruction, rules or regulations contrary to or inconsistent with any provisions of
this Act is hereby repealed, modified or amended accordingly.

SECTION 8. Effectivity — This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its
publication in the Official Gazette or in a newspaper of general circulation.