Republic of the Philippines 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
Quezon City, Metro Manila 
TWENTIETH CONGRESS 
First Regular Session 
House Bill No. 3173 
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 
Introduced by Representative 
BRIAN DANIEL POE LLAMANZARES, PhD, MNSA 
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 
AN ACT PROVIDING A FRAMEWORK TO PROTECT AND PROMOTE THE RIGHT 
TO ADEQUATE FOOD 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
The Sustainable Development Goal 2 aims to achieve "zero hunger" by aspiring to "end 
hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture ". As a 
long-standing international human right, a number of countries have developed and implemented 
constitutional amendments, national laws, strategies, and programs that aim at fulfilling the right 
to food. The right to adequate food can contribute to transformational change by creating 
synergies within the existing policy environment, in each context, to enhance coherence across 
relevant sectors. 
In the 2020 State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World Report, the Philippines 
recorded the greatest number of food insecure people in Southeast Asia, with 59 million 
Filipinos suffering from moderate to severe lack of consistent access to food. In 2019, Republic 
Act No. 11291, or the "Magna Carta for the Poor", was signed into law, which recognizes the 
"right to adequate food". However, the Philippines still has no established national legal 
framework on food security and nutrition (FSN). 
The purpose of this Bill is to create that national legal framework to serve as guiding 
principles for future policies and programs pertaining to food security and nutrition. As a bona 
fide member of the Food and Agriculture Organization, this is the fulfillment of our obligations 
August 6, 2025
11:01 am


to ensure that we achieve food security for all and make sure that people have regular access to 
enough high-quality food to lead active, healthy lives. 
In view of the foregoing, the immediate passage of this Bill is earnestly sought 
HON. BRIAN DANIEL POE LLAMANZARES, PhD, MNSA 
Representative 
FPJ Panday Bayanihan Party-List 


Republic of the Philippines 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
Quezon City, Metro Manila 
TWENTIETH CONGRESS 
First Regular Session 
House Bill No. 3173 
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 
Introduced by Representative 
BRIAN DANIEL POE LLAMANZARES, PhD, MNSA 
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 
AN ACT PROVIDING A FRAMEWORK TO PROTECT AND PROMOTE THE RIGHT 
TO ADEQUATE FOOD 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in Congress 
assembled: 
SECTION 1. Short Title. This Act shall be known as the "Right to Adequate Food Act". 
Sec. 2. Declaration of Policy. 
Consistent with the principles enshrined in the Constitution as well as the provisions of the 
International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, Convention on the Rights of 
the Child, and the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against 
Women, to which the Philippines is a State Party, it is hereby declared the policy of the State to 
guarantee the right to adequate food. Adequate food is not a matter of charity, but a legal 
entitlement. Hunger is inconsistent with human dignity and human rights, and must be 
eliminated. Towards this end, the State shall provide for a framework to address and eliminate 
hunger in an organized manner, and protect the right of the people to adequate food. 
Sec. 3. Definitions. – As used in this Act: 
a. Dietary needs refer to a mix of nutrients for physical and mental growth, development and 
maintenance, and physical activity, that follow human physiological needs at all stages 
throughout the life cycle, and according to gender and occupation;


b. Food refers to solid, liquid and semi-liquid nourishment, as well as drinking water, and when 
taken into the body serves to nourish, build and repair tissues, supply energy, or regulate body 
processes; 
c. Food blockade refers to an act of cutting off food supplies from a particular area by force, 
either in part or totally; 
d. Food emergency refers to a situation in which access to food is endangered, as that caused by 
natural events like drought, floods, storms, earthquakes, or crop failures resulting from pests or 
diseases ; or by human agency such as internal or international armed conflict ; or infectious 
disease outbreaks or pandemics, such as Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) and 
Coronavirus 19 disease (COVID-19); 
e. Food sovereignty refers to the right of people to healthy and culturally appropriate food 
produced through ecologically sound and sustainable methods, and their right to define their own 
food and agriculture systems, putting the aspirations and needs of those who produce, distribute 
and consume food at the heart of food systems and policies rather than the demands of markets 
and corporations; 
f. Hunger refers to a condition in which people do not get enough food to eat to provide the 
necessary nutrients for fully productive, active and healthy living due to the unavailability and 
inaccessibility of food, which may be (a) acute, such as during a major disaster when food supply 
channels are cut, (b) chronic, when people are regularly not getting enough food to conduct an 
active life for a long time, or (c) a condition of starvation, which is not having enough food of 
any sort to eat, or (d) undernourishment, which is having enough food to eat, but of inadequate 
quality; and 
g. Vulnerable groups refer to those who are particularly disadvantaged such as indigenous 
peoples, ethnic, linguistic or religious minorities, persons with disabilities, persons living with 
Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) or Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS), 
refugees and internally displaced people, elderly, women, including pregnant and lactating 
mothers and children, particularly those from zero to twenty-three (23) months of age. 
Sec. 4. Progressive Realization of the Right to Adequate Food. – Every person has the right to 
have regular, permanent and unrestricted access, either directly or by means of financial 
purchases, to quantitatively and qualitatively adequate, sufficient and safe food, corresponding to 
the cultural traditions of the people to which a consumer belongs, and which ensure physical and 
mental, individual and collective, fulfilling and dignified life, free of fear. The right to adequate 
food is realized when every man, woman and child, alone or in community with others, have 
physical and economic access at all times to adequate food, or means for its procurement. The 
right to adequate food must not be interpreted in a narrow or restrictive sense, which equates it 


with a minimum package of calories, proteins and other specific nutrients. The right to adequate 
food must be realized progressively. 
Sec. 5. Core Content on the Right to Adequate Food. – The core content of the right to 
adequate food includes the concepts of food availability and accessibility, which must be in a 
quantity and quality sufficient to satisfy the dietary needs of individuals, and in ways that are 
sustainable, and do not interfere with the enjoyment of other human rights. 
Sec. 6. Food Adequacy Standard. – Central to the realization of the right to adequate food is 
the standard of adequacy in terms of quality, quantity and cultural acceptability, sustainability of 
food availability and access. The standard of adequacy includes a number of factors which must 
be considered in determining whether particular foods or diets that are accessible can be 
considered the most appropriate under given circumstances. Sustainability is intrinsically linked 
to the concept of adequate food or food security, implying that food must be accessible to both 
present and future generations. The concept of adequacy to a large extent is determined by 
prevailing social, economic, cultural, climatic, ecological and other conditions, while 
sustainability incorporates long-term availability and accessibility. 
Sec. 7. Availability Standard. – Food must be available for feeding oneself directly from 
productive land or other natural resources, or for well-functioning distribution, processing and 
market systems that can move food from the site of production to where it is needed in 
accordance with demand. 
Sec. 8. Accessibility Standard. – Food accessibility is both economic, which refers to the 
acquisition pattern or entitlement through which people procure their food, and physical, where 
food must be accessible to everyone. Economic accessibility means that the personal or 
household financial cost associated with the acquisition of food for an adequate diet should be at 
a level such that the attainment and satisfaction of other basic needs are not threatened, or 
compromised. Physical accessibility means that adequate food must be accessible to everyone, 
including physically vulnerable individuals, such as infants and young children, elderly people, 
those belonging to the informal sector, the physically disabled, the terminally ill and persons 
with persistent medical problems, including the mentally ill. Victims of natural disasters, people 
living in disaster-prone areas and other specially disadvantaged groups, and many indigenous 
peoples groups whose access to their ancestral lands is threatened, need special attention and 
priority consideration with respect to accessibility of food. Socially vulnerable groups such as 
landless persons and other particularly impoverished segments of the population may need 
attention through special programs. 
Sec. 9. Cultural or Consumer Acceptability. – In providing food, there is a need to consider, as 
far as possible, the perceived non-nutrient-based values attached to food, and the consumer's 
concerns on the accessible food supplies. Food must be free from adverse substances to ensure 
food safety. Measures must be taken to maintain, adapt or strengthen dietary diversity and 


appropriate consumption and feeding patterns, including optimal breast-feeding, to ensure that 
changes in availability and access to food supply do not negatively affect dietary composition 
and intake. Freedom from adverse substances implies that the requirements for food safety and a 
range of protective measures are implemented to prevent contamination of foodstuff through 
adulteration, bad environmental hygiene, or inappropriate handling at different stages throughout 
the food chain. 
Sec. 10. Conditions for the Exercise of the Right to Adequate Food. — Every person has the 
right to live in conditions that shall enable the person to:  
a. Acquire food directly from productive land or other natural resources ; or rely on 
well-functioning food distribution, processing and market systems, or both; 
b. Financially acquire a sufficient quantity and quality of food and to satisfy other basic needs; 
c. Be safe from the risk of losing access to food, as a consequence of sudden shocks, like an 
economic or climatic crisis, or one that is brought about by internal displacements of people, or 
cyclical events, such as seasonal food insecurity; 
d. Have the opportunity of good food utilization through access to adequate diet, clean water, 
sanitation and health care and to reach a state of nutritional well-being, where all physiological 
needs are met; and 
e. Access food or diet that is the most appropriate under given circumstances, in terms of their 
nutritional value and cultural acceptability. 
Every infant, girl and boy, has a right to adequate food and to optimal health, development and 
nutrition adequate for their age, growth and development. Every woman has a right to adequate 
food and adequate nutrition during pregnancy and lactation. Unless it is provided by law, or is 
necessary for the purpose of a compelling public interest, and is compatible with the nature of 
the right to adequate food, there is no limitation on the right to adequate food. 
Sec. 11. Freedom from Hunger. – Every person has a right to be free from hunger. Every person 
suffering from hunger or undernutrition, or at risk of suffering from hunger or undernutrition is 
entitled to a minimum amount of food according to one's age, sex, health status and occupation, 
as provided for in Section 19 of this Act. 
Sec. 12. Principles. – The provisions of this Act are founded on the rights-based principles of 
participation, accountability, non-discrimination, transparency, human dignity, empowerment and 
rule of law, and are consistent with the progressive realization of the right to adequate food. 
Sec. 13. Non-discrimination. – Any distinction, exclusion or restriction made on the basis of 
race, color, sex, age, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin, 


property, birth or other status, which has the effect or purpose of impairing or limiting the 
capacity of an individual to exercise the right to adequate food, is unlawful and shall be 
sanctioned in accordance with law. All forms of discrimination against women with regard to the 
right to adequate food, including less favorable treatment of women for reasons of pregnancy 
and maternity, shall be eliminated and prevented. The equality of opportunities between men and 
women shall be promoted. 
Sec. 14. Governmental Obligations. – The State, as the primary duty bearer, has the duty to 
respect, protect and fulfill the right to adequate food and maintain food sovereignty, in 
accordance with the conditions provided under Section 10 of this Act. The State has the core 
obligation to take the necessary action to mitigate and alleviate hunger, even in times of natural 
or other disasters. The right to be free from hunger ensures a minimum daily nutritional intake 
and the bare survival of a person. The right to adequate food goes beyond freedom from hunger. 
a. Respect - The State has the obligation not to interfere with or impair the enjoyment of the 
right to adequate food. No public authority may deprive any person of food or means for its 
procurement, apply laws and regulations, or pursue a policy or practice, in a way that may result 
in preventing the enjoyment of or infringing the human right to adequate food, or repeal formally 
or suspend legislation necessary for the continued enjoyment of the right to adequate food. 
b. Protect - The State has the duty to provide guarantees against threats and risks stemming from 
private actors or societal forces that are controllable by State action. It shall take preventive 
measures necessary to protect persons whose capacities to access sufficient and adequate food or 
means for its procurement are endangered by the acts of others. It also must review the relevant 
administrative and legislative framework ensuring that activities within their competence 
undertaken by private actors do not infringe on the right to adequate food of others. 
c. Fulfill - The State shall facilitate the enjoyment of the right to adequate food by adopting or 
pursuing appropriate policies and measures that promote the human right to adequate food and to 
create and maintain conditions under which every person can freely and regularly enjoy the right 
to adequate food. 
Sec. 15. Targets. – The State shall ensure that in two and a half years (2 1/2) after the effectivity 
of this Act, the incidence of hunger is reduced by twenty-five percent (25%), from the level 
recorded at the time of the passage of this Act. Furthermore, five (5) years after the effectivity of 
this Act, such incidence of hunger will be further reduced by twenty-five percent (25%). In seven 
and a half (7 1/2) years, the incidence of hunger will be further reduced by twenty-five percent 
(25%). Finally, in ten (10) years, there shall be zero hunger incidence. 
The State shall also ensure that within ten (10) years from the effectivity of this Act, land 
devoted to food production is increased to fifty percent (50%) of all prime agricultural land in 


every region. Within the same period, the State shall ensure that the following indicators are 
considerably and steadily increased:  
a. Percentage development of ancestral lands; 
b. Percentage of rural population with access to productive means; 
c. Share of budget spent on programs aimed at creating access to productive resources; 
d. Percentage of budget spent on agri-research, agri-extension, irrigation, training, technology, 
credits and rural development; 
e. Percentage of rural female-headed households, or rural women, with legal title to agriculture 
lands; 
f. Percentage of public budget allocation for social transfer programs to those unable to feed 
themselves; 
g. Coverage of marginalized and disadvantaged population taking part in social transfer 
programs; 
h. Percentage of marginalized and disadvantaged population covered by a public nutrition 
supplement program; 
i. Percentage of population aware of available food and nutrition programs; and 
j. Coverage of school feeding programs. 
The percentage rates used as indicators herein shall also be stipulated in the rules and regulations 
issued to implement the provisions of this Act. Periodic reviews shall be undertaken to ensure 
compliance with set targets. In the implementation of this Act, priority shall be given to identify 
areas with chronically malnourished population. 
Sec. 16. Institutional Responsibilities. – The following agencies of the government are required 
to fulfill their respective mandates in a manner that shall ensure full implementation of the 
primary objectives of this Act:  
a. Department of Agriculture (DA)  
b. Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR)  
c. Department of Budget and Management (DBM)  
d. Department of Education (DepEd)  


e. Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR)  
f. Department of Health (DOH)  
g. Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG)  
h. Department of Justice (DOJ)  
i. Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE)  
j. Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH)  
k. Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) l. Department of Science and 
Technology (DOST) m. Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) n. Commission on Human 
Rights (CHR) o. Commission on Higher Education (CHED) p. National Anti-Poverty 
Commission (NAPC) q. National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) r. National 
Food Authority (NFA) s. National Nutrition Council (NNC) t. Technical Education and Skills 
Development Authority (TESDA) u. other agencies and instrumentalities of the government 
whose functions are necessary for the efficient and effective implementation of the right to 
adequate food. 
Sec. 17. Commission on the Right to Adequate Food. –  There is hereby created a Commission 
on the Right to Adequate Food, hereinafter referred to as the Commission, which shall be 
attached to the Office of the President. The Commission shall be the primary policy-making and 
coordinating body to guarantee full exercise of the right to adequate food. It shall exercise 
monitoring and oversight functions, apply human rights principles, conduct objective impact 
assessment on all government policies, programs and projects prior to adoption and 
implementation, work in close cooperation, and coordination with relevant government agencies 
and in consultations with civil society organizations and the private sector, and use all available 
resources for the efficient and effective implementation of this Act. 
The Commission shall formulate a national food policy consistent with the policy formulated by 
the Inter-Agency Task Force on Zero Hunger. The Commission shall have the following powers: 
a. Receive complaints of violations of the right to adequate food from individuals and groups; b. 
Investigate, motu proprio, or upon complaint by any party, all forms of violations of the right to 
adequate food; c. Adopt operational guidelines and rules of procedure, and cite for contempt 
individuals and groups for their violations in accordance with the Rules of Court; d. Provide 
appropriate legal measures for the protection of the right to adequate food of all persons within 
the Philippines, as well as Philippine citizens residing abroad, and provide for preventive 
measures and legal aid services to the under-privileged whose right to adequate food has been 
violated or needs protection; e. Establish a continuing program of research, education and 
information to enhance respect for the primacy of the right to adequate food; f. Recommend to 


Congress effective measures to promote the right to adequate food, to harmonize existing laws 
affecting the right to adequate food, to ensure their complementation, and the availability of 
remedies for violations and compensation to victims of violations of the right to adequate food; 
Monitor the Government's compliance with its obligations in regard to the right to adequate 
food; g. Monitor the Government's compliance with its obligations in regard to the right to 
adequate food; h. Request the assistance of any department, bureau, office or agency in the 
performance of its functions; i. Appoint officers and employees in accordance with law; and j. 
Perform such other duties and functions as may be provided by law. 
Sec. 17. Composition. – The Commission is composed of a chairperson and two (2) members 
who must be natural-born citizens; at least thirty-five (35) years of age, at the time of their 
appointment; and must not have been candidates for any elective position in the elections 
immediately preceding their appointment. At least one (1) of them must be a member of the 
Philippine Bar. 
Sec. 19. Standards on the Amount of Food. – Within one (1) year from the effectivity of this 
Act, the Commission shall, in consultations with the DSWD, DILG, NNC and the DOH, issue 
guidelines on the minimum amount of food for persons who are suffering from hunger or 
undernourishment, or are at risk from suffering from hunger or undernourishment, but who 
cannot take care of their own needs, due to reasons beyond their control, including children 
whose parents die or disappear, or otherwise no longer take care of them, elderly, and persons 
with disabilities. The guidelines include: 
1.​ The exact quantity of calories, proteins and micronutrients, to which the minimum 
amount of food will correspond, according to the age, sex, health status and occupation of 
a person; 
2.​ A simple and accessible application or certification procedure for the minimum amount 
of food entitlement with transparent, fair and non-discriminatory eligibility or 
certification criteria; and 
3.​ Relief mechanisms to ensure that such individuals are provided with their minimum food 
requirement. 
Sec. 20. Emergencies. – The Commission in coordination with the National Disaster Risk 
Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) shall: 
a. Provide food emergency responses which sufficiently cover both early warning responses and 
disaster preparedness in case of a crisis; and organize and manage food responses efficiently and 
effectively; b. Ensure that food supply responses are compatible with the right to adequate food 
and international standards regulating emergencies; and c. Initiate requests for international 
assistance in case of necessity, and supervise arid coordinate properly the distribution of food to 
intended recipients. 


Sec. 21. Information Dissemination. – All government agencies, under the direction of the 
Commission in coordination with the Philippine News Agency (PNA) and Philippine 
Information Agency (PIA), shall: 
a. Inform the population about the rights established in this Act and the implementing rules and 
regulations adopted upon its passage into law and other measure taken for the purpose of 
facilitating and promoting the realization of the right to adequate food; b. Use the most 
appropriate ways and methods of disseminating information by providing information through 
all media forms, and in local languages, notably in the most marginalized areas and among 
populations with a high rate of illiteracy. 
Sec. 22. Education and Awareness Program. – The Commission, in coordination with the 
DepEd, CHED and TESDA, shall ensure that: 
a. School curriculum includes material related to food and nutrition education, the right to 
adequate food and human rights principles; and b. Relevant adult education and training 
programs shall include materials related to food and nutrition, the right to adequate food and 
human rights principles. 
Sec. 23. International Cooperation. – The Commission, in coordination with the CHR and the 
Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), shall: 
a. Ensure that activities undertaken in other countries, including those by private actors, do not 
infringe on the enjoyment of the right to adequate food by people in the concerned countries. In 
coordination with DA, DTI, DOH and NEDA and other relevant agencies; b. Promote 
international cooperation and help ensure the realization of the right to adequate food in other 
countries, if in a position to do so; and c. Ensure that international and other agreements which 
the Philippine Government enters into, consider the guarantee on the right to food. 
Sec. 24. Monitoring and Evaluation System. – There shall be an integrated monitoring system 
that shall ensure that all government agencies at all levels, under the supervision of the 
Commission on the Right to Adequate Food, shall: 
a. Collect data related to food and nutrition security, using monitoring methodologies and 
processes consistent with human rights principles; b. Disaggregate collected data by age, sex, 
income, bracket, civil status and ethnicity; c. Monitor progress achieved in the realization of the 
right to adequate food; and d. Establish or identify an early warning mechanism for food supply 
shortages and emergencies. 
Sec. 25. Representation and Participation of People's Organizations and Civil Society. – To 
guarantee public participation, the Commission shall ensure that: 


a. All persons can freely and meaningfully participate in all forms of public discourse, access 
information and exercise freedom of association, in relation to the formulation and 
implementation of policies pertaining to the right to adequate food; b. Civil society and other 
stakeholders actively participate in the institutions that oversee the realization of the right to 
adequate food, as well as in formulating capacity building mechanisms and special measures for 
disadvantaged groups; and c. National public hearings are conducted every two (2) years, at 
which the government is required to report on the progress made with the implementation of this 
Act, and the progressive realization of the right to adequate food in the country. 
Sec. 26. Penal Provisions. –  The penalty of imprisonment of six (6) months and one (1) day to 
six (6) years, or a fine of not less than One hundred thousand pesos (₱100,000.00) but not more 
than Five hundred thousand pesos (₱500,000.00), or both, at the discretion of the court, shall be 
imposed on any person who causes the starvation or denial of the access to food of any particular 
individual or group, through the commission of any of the following facts: 
a. Blockade; b. refusal to implement a food-related program; c. discrimination in implementing a 
food-related program; d. negligence in implementing food-related programs, resulting in death; 
e. obstructing access to food in time of calamity or war; f. theft, corruption or black marketeering 
of food being given as humanitarian aid, in times of calamity or war; g. distribution of expired, 
or unsafe food at a school feeding program or other feeding program, in times of calamity or 
war; h. contamination of food or water sources, through mining activities, aerial spraying of 
plantations, or any other similar means; and i. other analogous acts. 
Sec. 27. Civil and Administrative Liabilities. – The government shall ensure the enjoyment of 
the rights guaranteed in this Act and perform the duties provided for in this Act. Appropriate 
cases may be filed before the courts to compel compliance with the provisions of this Act. If the 
violator is a public official or employee, in addition to the penalty of imprisonment or fine or 
both, the accessory penalty of perpetual absolute disqualification to hold public office shall be 
imposed. 
Sec. 28. Appropriations. – There shall be an allocation in the annual budget specifically for the 
purposes of the implementation of the right to adequate food, in accordance with priorities set by 
the Commission on the Right to Adequate Food. 
Sec. 29. Implementing Rules and Regulations. – Within sixty (60) days from the effectivity of 
this Act, the Chairperson of the Commission shall, in coordination with the CHR, DA, DAR, 
DSWD, DOH, DTI, DPWH, NEDA, NNC and NAPC, and people’s organizations and human 
rights nongovernmental organizations, promulgate the necessary rules and regulations for the 
effective implementation of this Act. 
Sec. 30. Rationalization of Policies. –  All existing policies, laws, decrees, executive orders, 
memorandum orders, memorandum circulars, administrative orders, and ordinances shall be 


rationalized and interpreted in a way that shall guarantee the realization of the right to adequate 
food as provided for by this Act. 
Sec. 31. Separability Clause. – If any part or provision of this Act is declared unconstitutional, 
the remainder of this Act or any provisions not affected thereby shall remain in full force and 
effect. 
Sec. 32. Repealing Clause. – All laws, decrees, executive orders, memorandum orders, 
memorandum circulars, administrative orders, ordinances, or parts thereof, which are 
inconsistent with the right to adequate food and the provisions of this Act, are hereby deemed 
repealed or modified accordingly. 
Sec. 32. Effectivity. – This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its publication in the 
Official Gazette or in a newspaper of general circulation. 
 
Approved, 
 
 
 
 
 
 
HON. BRIAN DANIEL POE LLAMANZARES, PhD, MNSA 
Representative 
FPJ Panday Bayanihan Party-List