1 
Republic of the Philippines 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
Quezon City, Metro Manila 
NINETEENTH CONGRESS 
1st Regular Session 
House Bill No. ________ 
Introduced by Representatives ERIC G. YAP and PAOLO Z. DUTERTE 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
The Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has altered every country’s 
priority. Aside from the reinforcement to healthcare institutions, what was also given 
the most important consideration is the provision and distribution of relief to the 
affected communities. Even during this difficult time, our farmers came into the 
rescue - dropping their prices for consumers and sometimes even distributing their 
produce for free to families affected by the community quarantine. 
To promote the agriculture sector and secure the livelihood of local farmers, the 
government must establish a system which supports the purchase and consumption 
of the produce of our own farmers. This bill seeks to mandate the national and local 
governments to purchase the produce of local farmers or producers for relief and 
school feeding programs.  
It is only fitting to put our farmers first when attending to our countrymen’s urgent 
need for subsistence, thereby putting our farmers as the first responders for food 
requirements. This bill does not aim to derail fair competition in terms foreign trade 
and importation but to support the produce of our own. 
In view of the foregoing, approval of this bill is earnestly sought. 
ERIC G. YAP 
PAOLO Z. DUTERTE 
August 9, 2022
12:20 pm
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1 
Republic of the Philippines 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
Quezon City, Metro Manila 
NINETEENTH CONGRESS 
1st Regular Session 
House Bill No. ________ 
Introduced by Representatives ERIC G. YAP and PAOLO Z. DUTERTE 
AN ACT 
MANDATING 
THE 
NATIONAL 
AND 
LOCAL 
GOVERNMENTS 
TO 
PURCHASE THE PRODUCE OF LOCAL FARMERS OR PRODUCERS FOR 
RELIEF AND SCHOOL FEEDING PROGRAMS 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in Congress 
assembled: 
SECTION 1. Declaration of Policy. It is hereby declared as a policy of the State, 
consistent with the constitutional provisions on social justice and the fundamental 
principles on food security, to ensure local food production. 
As such, priority must be accorded to the produce of local farmers and 
producers in terms of governmental purchases intended for social amelioration 
policies such as relief and school feeding programs. 
SEC. 2. Mandatory Purchase. The National Government, through its various 
departments and agencies, and local government units shall prioritize the purchase of 
local produce of local farmers and producers intended for relief and school feeding 
programs. Prioritizing the purchase of local produce shall mean the exhaustion of all 
available and applicable local produce at the most reasonable and practicable cost 
before resorting to imported or foreign produce. 
Moreover, in the case of local government units, produce of local farmers and 
producers within their respective jurisdictions shall take precedence over other 
produce outside their respective territorial jurisdictions to lower transportation or 
other hauling costs in the delivery of such produce. 
Nothing in this Act shall be construed as prohibiting the National Government 
or a local government unit to purchase local produce in different political 
subdivisions, provided that the requirement herein set forth is complied with the case 
of a local government unit. 
SEC. 3. Exceptions. Section 2 of this Act shall not be applicable in any of the 
following cases where the local produce is: 
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a. No longer fit for human consumption;  
b. Insufficient in quantity; 
c. More costly and impracticable compared to imported or foreign sources 
of produce; and 
d. Inferior in quality 
 
SEC. 4. Implementing Rules and Regulations.  For the effective implementation 
of this Act, the Department of the Interior and Local Government together with the 
Department of Agriculture, Trade and Industry, Agrarian Reform and Health shall 
within ninety (90) days from the effectivity of this Act promulgate the implementing 
rules and regulations.  
 
SEC. 5. Separability Clause. Should any part of this Act be declared 
unconstitutional or invalid, the other provisions hereof that are not affected thereby 
shall continue to be in full force and effect.  
 
SEC. 6. Repealing Clause. All laws, decrees, executive orders, proclamations, 
rules and regulations, and issuances, or parts thereof which are inconsistent with the 
provisions of this Act are hereby repealed, amended or modified accordingly.  
 
SEC. 7. Effectivity. This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its 
publication in the Official Gazette or in any newspaper or general circulation. 
 
Approved,