REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES 
FIFTEENTH CONGRESS 
) 
) 
) 
First Regular Session 
SENATE 
Senate Bill No. 132 () 
Introduced by Senator Manny Villar 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
The health of the whole populace is a factor we cannot overlook in our 
thrust to,wards the development of the entire nation. Malnutrition has been 
identified as one of the major problems confronting our country today. According 
to reports, malnutrition is the third most common illness among school children. 
The state bears the responsibility to respond to this alarming problem. We 
should be able to appraise the magnitude of the situation in order to be able to 
formulate and effectively carry out whatever response is necessary. 
Nutrition is essential to survival as well as a critical factor in an individual's 
growth and capacity to function in society. As long as the problem of malnutrition 
continues to hang over the Filipino people, their struggle tb improve their 
presently depressed socio-economic conditions may yet prove long and difficult. 
The early approval of the bill is hereby requested. 


REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES 
FIFTEENTH CONGRESS 
First Regular Session 
SENATE 
) 
) 
) 
Senate Bill No.· 1326 
Introduced by Senator Manny Villar 
AN ACT 
STRENGTHENING THE NATIONAL NUTRITION PROGRAM, 
APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREFOR AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
Philippines in Congress assembled: 
SECTION 1. Title.--This Act shall be known as the Nutrition Act. 
SEC. 2. Declaration of Policy.--It is the declared Policy of the State to 
promote a just and dynamic social order that will insure the prosperity and 
independence of the nation and free the people from poverty through pOlicies 
that provide adequate social services, promote full employment, a rising standard 
of living, and an improved quality of life for all; to defend and promote the right of 
children to assistance including proper care and nutrition and special protection 
from all forms of neglect, abuse, cruelty, exploitation and other conditions 
prejudicial to their development. 
The State further declares its determination to eliminate hunger and to 
reduce all forms of malnutrition; That, hunger and malnutrition are unacceptable 
to end this human catastrophe. 
The State maintains that nutrition is both an end-goal and a means to 
achieve development. It is a multi-factorial concern requiring inputs from all 
sectors. As such, nutrition shall be a priority of the government to be 
implemented by 
all 
its branches 
in 
collaboration with 
non-government 
organizations and the private sector in an integrated manner with focus to 
nutritionally and economically depressed areas, communities and households. 
SEC. 3. Objectives.--The Nutrition Act of aims to improve the nutritional 
status of the country and its citizenry. Specifically, it aims to: 
. 
(a) Strengthen the National Nutrition Council (NNC) as the policy-making 
body on nutrition: 
(b) Provide a policy environment conducive to nutrition improvement; 
(c) Provide mechanisms, strategies and approaches in implementing 
programs and projects to improve nutritional status and to eradicate malnutrition 
and hunger; 
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(d) Insure participation and cooperation of NNC-member agencies, other 
National Government Agencies (NGAs), Local Government Units (LGUs), Non-
Government Organizations (NGOs), and the private sector in an integrated 
manner for the promotion of the nutritional well-being of the population. 
SEC. 4. Philippine Plan of Action for Nutrition (PPAN) and Strategies.--
The PPAN is the integrated short, medium and long-term plan of the government 
in response to the global call to eradicate hunger and malnutrition. It is the 
country's blueprint for achieving nutrition adequacy for all as an important 
element for international competitiveness, people empowerment and human 
development. The PPAN aims to 
reduce prevalence of protein-energy 
malnutrition, Vitamin A deficiency, iron deficiency anemia and iodine deficiency 
disorders. 
The PPAN shall employ a twin strategy: promotion of household food 
security; 
and 
the prevention, 
control 
and 
elimination 
of micro-nutrient 
malnutrition. It shall involve short, medium, and long-term interventions to 
address hunger and malnutrition. Further, programs to insure household food 
security through availability and accessibility of safe and nutritious foods shall be 
encouraged. 
To wage war against poverty, access to credit shall be insured to help the 
poor cope with acute food shortages. A food and nutrition subsidy for the poor 
shall likewise be implemented to deliver food and other essential goods to low-
income households and serve as an entry point for the delivery of other nutrition 
services. Specific behaviors shall be promoted through the adoption of desirable 
dietary practices to insure nutritional well-being. 
SEC. 5. The National Nutrition Council.--The National Nutrition Council 
(NNC), composed of a Governing Board and a Secretariat, is the highest policy-
making body on nutrition. It coordinates the formulation and the implementation 
of the Philippine Plan of Action for Nutrition (PPAN). It shall provide overall 
direction for the nutrition plans and programs and coordinate all others agencies 
which contribute resources and expertise for nutrition development. 
In order to increase its efficiency and effectiveness, the composition of the 
NNC Governing Board is hereby expanded. 
a. The Governing Board.-- The Governing Board (GB) shall be composed 
Secretaries or Heads of the following agencies: 
(a) Department of Agriculture (Chairman) 
(b) Department of Social Welfare and Development 
(c) Department of Health 
(d) Department of Education 
(e) Department of Interior and Local Government 
(f) Department of Science and Technology 
(g) Department of Budget and Management 
(h) Department of Labor and Employment 
(i) Department of Agrarian Reform 
U) Department of Trade and Industry 
(k) National economic and Development Authority 
(1) Three representatives from the private sector to be appointed by the 
President of the Philippines; 
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The Board shall create a Technical Committee or such other committee of 
experts as it may deem necessary, to act 'as the Council's advisory body on 
policy and program matters. 
b. The Secretariat. - The Secretariat shall serve as the Executive arm of 
the Governing Board. It shall be headed by an Executive Director, assisted by 
two Deputy Executive Directors, all of whom shall be appointed by the President. 
SEC. 6. Functions and Powers.--The Council shall have the following 
functions and powers: 
(a) Formulate national nutrition Formulate policies, plans, strategies and 
approaches for nutrition improvement; 
(b) Oversee and serve as a focal point in the integration of nutrition 
policies and programs of all member agencies and instrumentalities 
charged with the implementation of existing laws, policies, rules and 
regulations concerning nutrition; 
(c) Coordinate, monitor and evaluate prop-rams and projects of both 
public and private sectors as well as of LGUs in order to insure 
integration of nutrition with national policies; 
(d) Receive grants, donations and contributions in any form from foreign 
governments, private institutions and other funding entities for nutrition 
programs and projects: Provided, That no conditions shall be made 
contrary to the policies or provisions of this Act; 
(e) Coordinate the release of public funds for the promotion of nutrition 
well-being of the country in accordance with the approved programs 
, and projects; and 
. (f) Call upon any government agency and instrumentalities comprising 
the-pillars of the executive system for such assistance as may be 
required to implement the provisions of this-Act in order to reduce and 
eventually eliminate malnutrition in the country. 
SEC.7. Role of NNC-Member Agencies, other National Government 
Agencies, Local Government Units, and the Private Sector in the Nutrition Act of 
1995.-Member agencies shall be responsib.le for insuring the implementation of 
programs and projects, development of promotive, preventive and curative 
nutrition programs, and integration of health and nutrition concerns into their 
respective policies and plans. It shall provide additional resources in any form in 
support of the local nutrition programs as a continuing involvement of the national 
government to local programs. 
The consortium of State Universities and Colleges (SUCs) shall intensify 
nutrition related training, research and extension support activities through the 
Barangay Integrated Development Approach for Nutrition Improvement (BIDANI) 
Network Program of the Rural Poor and other relevant approaches, thereby 
strengthening delivery systems in partnership with the LGUs. 
Local Government Units (LGUs), pursuant to the Local Government Code 
of 1991, shall provide and deliver basic nutrition services and facilities to the 
community. The LGUs shall integrate nutrition considerations in their short, 
medium and long-term development plans, and programs and shall coordinate 
with the Council in the enforcement of this Act. LGUs shall hire, train and deploy 
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nutritionists in every municipality, city and province. It shall also recruit, train and 
deploy Barangay Nutrition Scholars in every barangay in support of the local 
nutrition programs. Barangay Nutrition Scholars are community based volunteers 
responsible for the delivery of nutrition services and other related activities in the 
barangay. 
Other National Government Agencies (NGAs) shall serve as important 
links in promoting nutrition in development through its participation in the 
continuing advocacy for nutritional improvement, and integration of nutrition 
considerations in their sectoral plans and programs. 
Non-Government Organizations (NGOs) shall be encouraged to undertake 
nutrition related researches and to recommend procedures and guidelines 
promotive of good nutrition among employees of agencies or members of NGOs. 
The Private Sector shall also be encouraged to provide technical and financial 
assistance to community-based nutrition projects as their participation in the 
country's human development efforts. 
SEC. 8. Nutrition Improvement Fund--The Nutrition Improvement Fund 
(NIF) is hereby established and shall be provided as a grant to nutritionally 
depressed areas for the implementation of locally, initiated nutrition programs 
and projects. Requests of LGUs for funding assistance shall be submitted for 
appraisal and approval of the NNC. 
SEC: 
9. 
Appropriations.--An 
initial 
sum 
of Eighty 
Million 
Pesos 
(P80,OOO,OOO.OO) is hereby appropriated for the Nutrition Improvement Fund as 
support to locally initiated nutrition programs; Thereafter, an appropriation for NIF 
shall be provided annually in the General Appropriations Act. 
The funds needed by the National Nutrition Council (NNC) to carry out the 
provisions of this Act shall be charged to the appropriations of the N NC under the 
annual General Appropriations Act in addition to the appropriations of other 
department/agencies whose programs and activities are in support of the PPAN 
and this Act. 
Funds needed by SUCs in implementing BIOANI and other nutrition 
approaches shall be incorporated in the annual appropriation of SUCs. 
SEC. 10. Separability Clause.--If any provision of this Act or the 
application of such provision to any instrumentalities or entities or circumstances 
is held invalid or unconstitutional for any reason or reasons, the remainder of this 
Act or the application of such other provisions shall not be affected thereby. 
SEC. 11. Repealing Clause.--AII laws and part of laws, decrees, orders, 
proclamations, issuance, rules and regulations which are inconsistent with the 
provisions of this Act are hereby repealed, amended or modified accordingly. 
S~C. 12. Saving Clause.--AII laws and parts of laws, decrees, orders, 
proclamations, issuance, rules and regulations-which are inconsistent with the 
provisions of this Act are hereby repealed, amended or modified accordingly: 
Provided, That power, functions and rights already acquired and existing at the 
time of its passage shall not in any way be abridged, modified nor abated. 
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SEC. 13. Effectivity. --This Act shall take effect fifteen days after its 
publication in the Official Gazette or at least two (2) national newspapers of 
general circulation whichever comes earlier. 
Approved, 
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