FIFTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE REPUBLIC)
OF THE PHILIPPINES )
15 Regular Session }

HOUSE OF REPRESENTA: ES
House Bill'No. 21

Introduced by : MA. THERESA B. BONOAN-DAVID
Representative, 4” District, City of Manila

EXPLANATORY NOTE

Surveys show that hunger incidence among the Philippinc poor is intensifying. In 2009,
food prices skyrocketed to unprecedented levels, making foodstuff even more difficult for the
poor to purchase. So poor families usually resort to cheap, but usually unhealthy food jut to
pacify their children’s pangs of hunger. This results in a vast majority of poor children in low-
income communities and depressed urban areas who are malnourished and sickly, preventing
them from achieving their full potentials. While it is not the policy of the state to promote
mendicancy among its populace, hunger and malnutrition among the poor are defeating the
State’s policy of protecting and promoting the right to health of the people and instilling health
consciousness among them.

Feeding the poor is a gigantic problem which the government is increasingly finding
difficult to solve. Both the state and its citizens should therefore be grateful to non-governmental
organizations suc as the Forturie Center and Children, Incorporated who adntinisiat feeding
programs to the poor in low-income communities and depressed urban areas. This Bill will
assist these organizations in their feeding programs without promoting mendicancy among the
citizenry. Although the government has several feeding programs, this Bill calls for a concerted
effort by the Department of Agriculture, Department of Social Welfare and Development, and
the Department of Health. Unlike other feeding programs, this Bill will not only mitigate hunger
among poor children and pregnant women but will also nourish them with fruits, vegetables and
other healthy foodstuffs.

in view of these, the immediate passage of this bill is earnestly sought.

MA. THERESA B. BONOAN-DAVID
Representative, 4" District, City of Manila


FIFTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE REPUBLIC)

OF THE PHILIPPINES )
First Regular Session )
HOUSE OF REPRESENT,
House Bill No.

Introduced by : MA. THERESA B. BONOAN-DAVID
Representative, 4" District, City of Manila

AN ACT MANDATING THE DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL WELFARE AND
DEVELOPMENT, DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE, AND DEPARTMENT
OF HEALTH, TO COORDINATE WITH EACH OTHER AND ASSIST
IDENTIFIED INCOME COMMUNITIES AND DEPRESSED URBAN AREAS TO
PROMOTE INCREASED ACCESS TO AND CONSUMPTION OF FRESH
FRUITS, VEGETABLES, AND OTHER HEALTHY FOODS AMONG
‘CHILDREN AND PREGNANT WOMEN THEREIN AND FOR OTHER
PURPOSES.

Be it enacted by the House of Representatives of the Philippines in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. Title - This Act shall be known as the ‘Healthy Food for Poor
Children Program’.

SEC2, Concerned Agencies. - The Department of Social Welfare and
Development (DSWD), Department of Agriculture (DA), Department of Health (DOH),
and Department of Education (DepEd) (hereinafter collectively Concemed Agencies)
shall jointly implement the provisions of this Act. They shall promote greater
consumption of fresh fruits, vegetables, and other healthy foodstuffs in low-income
communities and depressed urban areas.

SEC.3. Role of D A, - The Department of Agriculture (DA) shall identify farmers,
farmers’ organizations from which fresh fruits, vegetables and other healthy foodstuffs
are to be purchased. As much as practicable, the farmers and farmers’ organizations
should be from the locality wherein the feeding program is to be administered. The
farmers shall be chosen pursuant to a transparent and fair selection system which the
Department of Agriculture shall craft and implement.

SECA. Profit for Earners. - The farmers and farmers’ organizations shall be paid
the market price of the fresh fruits, vegetables, and other healthy foodstuffs purchased
from them by the DA.

SECS. Role of DOH, - The DOH shall identify which fruits, vegetables, and
other healthy foodstuffs are appropriate for the feeding programs in a locality and shall
recommend these to the DA for purchasing. The DOH shail also train personnel or
volunteers of recipients in the healthy preparation, cooking, and other healthy practices in
the preparation of food to be administered in the feeding programs.

SEC6. Rule of DSWD, - The DSWD shall identify community-based
organizations who are to be the recipients of assistance by the Concerned Agencies. The
recipients shall be administering a feeding program in a low-income community or in a
depressed urban area. The assistance shall cover providing the organizations with fresh
fruits, vegetables, and other healthy foods, cooking or preparation of food, manpower,
training, and other expenses related to the purpose of this bill.

SECT. Rule of Recipients. - The recipients must be assisted by the Concerned
Agencies in carrying out one or more of the following activities:


(1) Administering feeding programs of fresh fruits, vegetables and other healthy
food stuffs, as identified by the Department of Health, to poor children of a low-
income community or a depressed urban area.

(2) Carrying out information campaigns and outreach activities to encourage
families and their children to consume fresh fruits and vegetables and warn them
of the health risks associated with high-calorie, high-sugar diet.

SECS. Separability Clause. - If any part of this Act should hereafter be declared
unconstitutional or invalid, such other parts not affected thereby shall continue in full
force and effect.

SEC9. Effectivity. - This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its complete
publication in at least two (2) newspapers of general circulation.

Approved,