FIFTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES 
First Regular Session 
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SENATE 
S.B. No. 
2561 
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Introduced by Senator Loren Legarda 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
Under the Constitution, it is the State policy to protect and promote the right to 
health and instill health consciousness among the people. The Philippine Plan of Action 
for Nutrition for 2008-2010, the country's blueprint for achieving nutritional adequacy, 
declares a vision of Filipinos as well-no!1rished, healthy, intelligent, and socially and 
economically productive people with high sense of human dignity. 
The results of a nationwide mapping released by the National Nutrition Council 
has revealed, however, that securing a most basic human need-food-remains a 
challenge to our people in 49 provinces (63.6%), in varying degrees. A total of 38 
provinces were classified as Vulnerable, eight provinces as Very Vulnerable, and three 
provinces as Very Very Vulnerable to food insecurity. 
A priority area for intervention and resource allocation to address food 
insecurity must particularly target childrenl who will be most affected adversely,. 
because they are the most vulnerable components of society. Statistics from the 
Department of Health show that an estimated 50% of pupils are anemic, two out of ten 
children are iodine-deficient and four out 100 pre-schoolers have night blindness, even 
as 17 school children go blind every day due to Vitamin A deficiency. The same report 
reveals that a majority of school children sufferedfrom dental caries (84.3%); intestinal 
parasitism (75%); malnutrition (44.9%); and various infections of the ear (17.2%) and 
skin (52%). 
This bill proposes a system-wide plan to implement a nutrition and health 
program for children in the schools and barangay day care centers, consisting of a 
complementary feeding program. This intervention is urgent, as undernutrition is 
largely preventable and the World Bank has reported of exceptionally high 
development returns to a number of direct nutrition interventions. Also, success in 
addressing undernutrition is essential to meeting the Millennium Development Goals, 
which the Philippines is working to achieve by 2015 .. 
For these considerations, the passage of this bill is earnestly sought. 
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Senator 


FIFTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES 
First Regular Session 
, 
) 
) 
) 
SENATE 
S.B. No. 
2561 
Introduced by Senator Loren Legarda 
AN ACT 
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PROVIDING FOR A MANDATORY NATIONWIDE CHILD NUTRITION 
PROGRAM IN ALL PUBLIC ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS AND BARANGAY DAY 
CARE CENTERS, PROVIDING FUNDS THEREFOR AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of the Representatives of the Philippines in 
Congress assembled: 
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SECTION 1. Short Title. - This Act shall be known as the "Child Nutrition 
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Law of 2010." 
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SEC. 2. Declaration of Policy. - It is the declared policy of the State to 
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promote the rights of children to survival, development and special protection with 
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full recognition of the nature of childhood and its special needs, and to support the 
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nutritional needs of children to enhance their learning capacities in compulsory 
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basic education. To this end, the State shall institutionalize a mandatory child 
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nutrition program in all and public elementary schools and barangay day care 
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centers that is comprehensive, integrative and sustainable on a national basis. 
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SEC. 3. Objectives. - The objectives of the mandatory child nutrition program 
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are: 
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1. To identify the portion of the schoolchildren population that is 
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malnourished, with characterization of feeding habits, food preparation 
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and water supply; 
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2. To achieve improved child attendance and survival rates in day care 
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centers and schools by ensuring that adequate health and nutrition 
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programs are accessible to young children throughout the early childhood 
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years; 
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3. To integrate basic knowledge of good nutrition, including family nutrition 
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practices in school curricula; 
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4. To enhance the physical, social, emotional, cognitive, psychological, 
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spiritual and language development of young children; 
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5. To enhance the role of public elementary schools and barangay day care 
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centers as surrogate caregivers of children; 
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6. To facilitate the learning process through healthy body and physical 
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environment; 
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7. To ensure that young children are adequately prepared for the formal 
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learning system and that both public elementary schools and barangay 
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day care centers are responsive to the developmental needs of these 
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children; and 
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8. To establish an efficient system for early identification, prevention, 
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referral and intervention for developmental disorders and disabilities in 
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early childhood. 
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SEC. 4. Program Framework. - The mandatory child nutrition program shall 
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be provided for children enrolled or studying in public elementary schools and 
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barangay day care centers regardless of age with the consent of parents. The 
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program shall include: 
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1. Complementary feeding to ensure access to food supplements which will 
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improve nutritional status. This activity may also be used as a venue for 
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other nutrition-related activities such as micronutrient supplementation, 
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weighing and growth monitoring, deworming of children, promotion of 
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improved hygiene practices including handwashing, and emergency 
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feeding during and after disasters. Health and nutrition counseling and 
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education, and treatment of severe undernutrition with ready-to-use 
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therapeutic foods may also form an integral part of this activity and health 
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personnel may be tapped as resource persons. 
2. Dietary diversification/backyard gardening to assure availability of 
nutritious food in the local areas. Enhancing community resources 
accessible to local households and managed by the community will be an 
.. effective strategy to address lack of nutritious food therein. 
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The accompanying benchmarks under the mandatory child nutrition 
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program shall be determined by the Department of Health in consultation with the 
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Department of Education and the barangay having jurisdiction over the barangay 
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day care center or the public elementary school. 
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SEC. 5. Wholistic Approach. - Every agency of the national and local 
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governments shall cooperate and extend full support and cooperation and make 
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available such materials, data and other resources as may be necessary to ensure the 
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successful implementation of this Act. In particular: 
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The Department of Health, in consultation with the Department of Education, 
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the Department of Agriculture and the appropriate barangay, shall review the plans,· 
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programs and implementation of the school or day care complementary feeding 
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program, with the purpose of identifying: 
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1. Ways and means of ip.creasing. the volume of complementary feeding 
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with particular attention to local food components; 
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2. Priority areas of the country where greater attention is needed in terms of 
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a higher density of undernourished school children; and 
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3. The groups of school children most likely to benefit from complementary 
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feeding. 
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The Department Social Welfare and Development shall assist in monitoring 
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the weight and health of children participating in the school complementary feeding 
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program. The Department of Agriculture and the National Food Authority shall also 
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The Department of Int~rior and Local Government shall help enlist the 
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support of local government units in the accomplishment of program objectives. 
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The National Economic and Development Authority shall assist in the 
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determination of official development assistance sources to expand the inputs into 
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the school complementary feeding program. 
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The Department of Budget and Management shall help prepare work and 
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financial plans covering the food assistance program, particularly the peso 
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counterpart requirement involved in the freight, insurance, storage and other 
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requirements for effective food handling and distribution. 
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The Department of Trade and Industry shall look for cost-effective sources for 
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components of the program, including but not limited to foodstuffs, vaccines and 
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dietary supplements. 
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SEC. 6. Selection of Priority Areas. - The Department of Health, in 
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consultation with the Department of Education and the Department of Social 
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Welfare and Development, shall select at least five (5) regions for each year based on 
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the criteria provided herein in order to achieve a national coverage for a period of 
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three (3) years. All barangays within the selected region shall establish their 
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respective mandatory child nutrition program within a period of six (6) months. 
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The following criteria shaH be considered in the selection of priority regions: 
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1. Low level of participation of 3-5 year old population in existing day care 
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and pre-school services; and 
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2. Number of provinces and cities with high incidence of poverty, low birth 
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weight, infant and under-five (5) mortality, malnutrition, maternal mortality, low 
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participation rate in Grade I, and high drop-out rate among Grade I pupils. 
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SEC. 7. Self-Starting Barangays. - A self-selection alternative is available for 
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barangays not selected as priority site for a given year but which can afford to 
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institutionalize a mandatory child nutrition program in its locality. 
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SEC. 8. Funds for the Mandatory Child Nutrition Program. - The funds for 
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the establishment, maintenance and operation of the mandatory child nutrition 
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program shall be appropriated from the following sources: 
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1. Ten percent (10%) of the recorded income of the general fund accruing 
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from interest on deposit accounts and performance bonds and any forfeited 
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amounts therefrom. Performance bonds and deposits filed or posted by private 
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persons or entities with agencies of the government shall be deposited with an 
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authorized government depository bank as trust liabilities and under the name of 
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the agency concerned. 
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2. Ten percent (10%) of the total amount specifically identified and authorized 
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intelligence and confidential funds as provided for in the budgets of departments, 
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bureaus, offices or agencies of the national government, which shall be prorated 
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among them. 
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3. Fifteen percent (15%) of the total amount automatically appropriated for 
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debt service compounding both interest payment and principal amortization 
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thereon. 
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SEC. 9. Repealing Clause. - All laws, decrees, orders, rules and regulations 
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and other issuances or parts thereof which are inconsistent with the provisions of 
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this Act are hereby repealed or modified accordingly. 
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SEC. 10. Separability Clause. - In the event that any provision of this Act is 
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declared un~onstitutional, the validity of the other provisions shall not be affected 
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by such declaration. 
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SEC. 11. Effectivity. - This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days following its 
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publication in at least two (2) newspapers of general circulation. 
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Approved, 
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