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SENATE 
THIRTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES 
First Regular Session 
S. No. 53p 
INTRODUCED BY HON. MANUEL B. VILLAR, JR. 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
As a consequence of poverty, malnutrition among Filipino school children has 
worsened. Reports show that out of the 3.4 million pupils enrolled in elementary, 
515,000 are afflicted with poverty-related health problems and suffer from varying 
levels of malnutrition. 
Some of the considerable effects of malnutrition among school children are 
impaired cognitive development, underachievement and the eventual dropping out 
from school. 
To address the nutritional needs of schoolchildren, this bill seeks to establish a 
national school feeding program initially for elementary pupils. The program, which 
shall be called Hot Meals for Hungry Learners shall integrate a health and nutrition 
program in the school. 
All public elementary schools shall be provided with seed capital to develop 
school gardens that shall grow vegetables and fmits and raise poultry and other 
animals for the feeding program. 
It is hoped that with the passage of this bill, millions of hungry, elementary 
schoolchildren who are often forced to learn on empty stomach will have their hunger 
satisfied, will be attracted to go and stay in school and will have increased literacy 
rates and better academic performance. 
In view of the foregoing, immediate passage of this bill is earnestly sought. 


t 
THIRTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES 
First Regular Session 
INTRODUCED BY HON. MANUEL B. VILLAR, JR. 
AN ACT 
ESTABLISHING IN THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION 
A NATIONAL SCHOOL FEEDING PROGRAM FOR ELEMENTARY GRADE 
PURPOSES. 
PUPILS, APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREFOR, AND FOR OTHER 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in Congress 
assembled: 
SECTION 1. Short 7itZe. This Act shall be known as the “Hot Meals for Hungry 
Learners Act of 2004.” 
SECTION 2. DecEaration of PoEicy. It is hereby declared the policy of the State 
to implement a national plan of action that will save millions of elementary school 
children from malnutrition and illiteracy by establishing in the Department of 
Education a national school feeding program that could significantly reduce the 
prevalence of malnutrition and swiftly resolve related school and pupil-learning 
problems, 
SECTION 3. National School Feeding Program. The “Hot Meals for Hungry 
Learners Act” establishes in the Department of Education a National School Feeding 
Program that will address the nutritional needs of schoolchildren. As a priority 
target, the program shall be based in all public elementary schools nationwide. 
Schools shall be tasked to develop school gardens for growing vegetables and 
raising poultry and other animals. The garden produce and/or earnings from the 
sale thereof shall be used exclusively for the school feeding program. 
All public elementary schools shall offer food supplementation as a form of 
school nutrition service in order to reduce the prevalence of malnutrition which 
persists as a health problem due to inadequate intake of food nutrients in the pupils’ 
homes and poor nutrition practices. 
SECTION 4. Integrated School Health and Nutrition Program. The “Hot Meals 
for Hungry Learners” program shall form part of the Integrated School Health and 
Nutrition Program managed by the Department of Education Health and Nutrition 
Center. 


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The school health and nutrition program is a comprehensive education and 
service package delivered initially to the schools, and eventually to the homes and 
communities, in order to improve the health and nutritional status of the total 
school population. 
Overall school health strategies and interventions to promote health, 
nutrition and to combat diseases common among schoolchildren such as Vitamin A 
deficiency, iodine/iron deficiency, anemia, roundworm and other intestinal parasitic 
infections shall be developed. 
SECTION 5. School Health and Nutn'tion Center. The Department of Education 
Health and Nutrition Center created by Executive Order No. 117 shall manage the 
school health program to provide all public elementary schoolchildren basic health 
services such as medical service, dental service and nursing services. Likewise, the 
Center shall manage the "Hot Meals for Hungry Learners" program which shall form 
part of the school nutrition program. 
SECTION 6. Applied Nutrition Projects. The Applied Nutrition Center located in 
Banilad, Cebu City shall serve as a laboratory for introducing applied nutrition 
projects which are self-sustaining. Technical assistance and training shall be 
provided to school heads and schoolteachers so that commodity-assisted nutrition 
service such as breakfast feeding program and school milk projects tray be sustained 
with the use of locally produced primary food commodities grown in school gardens. 
SECTION .7. Responsibility of School Heads. The "Hot Meals for Hungry 
Learners'' program shall be initially established in all public elementary schools 
nationwide. F'ursuant to the Governance of Basic Education Act of 2001 (R.A. 9155), 
the school head, 
together with the schoolteachers, shall have full authority, 
responsibility and accountability for the successful implementation of the program. 
For this purpose all public elementary schools shall receive a grant to be used 
as seed capital for the "Hot Meals for Hungry Learners'' program. The school head 
shall be directly accountable for the prudent and judicious use of the seed capital 
provided herein and any earnings derived therefrom. He/she shall guarantee that 
the seed capital and any earnings thereof shall be exclusively used to maintain and 
sustain the school feeding program. 
The seed capital and any earnings thereof shall be utilized to develop school 
gardens where vegetables and plants will be grown and poultry and other animals 
will be raised. To ensure sustainability the school head, in consultation with the 
parent-teachers-community associations, may solicit commodity assistance from 
local food product manufacturers such as noodles and milk products. 
SECTION 8. Initial Appropn'ation. For the initial implementation of this Act, 
the amount of Five Hundred Million Pesos (P500,000,000.00) is hereby appropriated 


3 
of which 
a direct 
the amount of Four Hundred Fifty Million Pesos (P450,000,000.00) shall be 
grant to every public elementary school in such an amount as may be 
determined by the Department of Education but in no case shall be less than Ten 
Thousand Pesos (P10,OOO.OO) per school; and the amount of Fifty Million Pesos 
(P50,000,000.00) shall be utilized to provide technical assistance and training for the 
maintenance and sustainability of the program. Said amount of Five Hundred Million 
Pesos (P500,000,000.00) shall be funded from the net income of the Philippine 
Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO). 
SECTION 9. Continuing Appropn'ation .For the succeeding years, the amount 
of Fifty Million Pesos (P50,000,000.00) for technical assistance and training in 
support of the program shall be included in the annual appropriation of the 
Department of Education. 
SECTION 10. Repealing Clause. All laws, decrees, executive issuances, rules 
and regulations inconsistent with this Act are hereby repealed or modified 
accordingly. 
SECTION 11. SeparabiZity Clause. The provisions of this Act are hereby 
declared to be separable, and in the event one or more of such provisions are held 
unconstitutional, the validity of the other provisions shall not be affected thereby. 
SECTION 12. Effectivity. This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days from the 
date of its publication in the Official Gazette or in at least two (2) newspapers of 
general circulation. 
Approved,