TWENTIETH CONGRESS OF THE 
)
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES 
)
First Regular Session 
)
feu naif
A 
of lit.- fi '.re-
25 AUG -5 P4 :23
SENATE
S. No. 958
RtCtIViD BV
Introduced by Senator Jinggoy Ejercito Estrada
AN ACT
PROVIDING A FRAMEWORK TO PROTECT AND PROMOTE THE RIGHT TO 
ADEQUATE FOOD
EXPLANATORY NOTE
The Social Weather Stations (SWS) regularly surveys the hunger incidence in 
the country or those households who "experienced involuntary hunger - being 
hungry and not having anything to eat - at least once in the past three months". 
The recorded the Hunger Incidence of Families as of December 18, 2024 at 25.9% 
of total households surveyed. This is a sharp spike from the last year's record, a 
complete turnaround from the downward trend since the COVID-19 pandemic, and a 
record high almost reaching the level of the hunger incidence during the onslaught 
of the pandemic. In terms of annual averages, hunger incidence in 2020 was at 
21.1%; in 2021, it declined to 13.1%; in 2022, it further declined to 11.7%; in 2023, 
it continued to decline to 10.7%. Sadly, the figure for this year almost doubled 
compared to its 2023 level.1
At the global scale, the problem of hunger and lack of access to adequate 
food remain, as shown by these facts2;
1 Social Weather Stations I SOCIAL WEATHER REPORT I Hunger rises to 25.9% in December 2024 from 22.9%
in September 2024
2 Goal 2: Zero Hunger - United Nations Sustainable Development
1


• 
2 billion people worldwide do not have regular access to safe, nutritious 
and sufficient food
• 
148 million children suffer from stunting
• 
45 million children under age 5 were affected by wasting or acute 
undernutrition
• 
600 million people worldwide is projected to be facing hunger in 2030, 
highlighting the immense challenge of achieving the zero hunger target.
Consistent with the principles found in the Constitution, as well as the 
Universal Declaration of Human Rights and in numerous international conventions 
such as 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, this 
proposed legislation declares as policy the right to adequate food.
Further, the country joins the world in efforts to achieve the Goal 2: Zero 
Hunger of Sustainable Development Goals which aims by 2030 to, among others, 
"end hunger and ensure access by all people, in particular the poor and people in 
vulnerable situations, including infants, to safe, nutritious and sufficient food all year 
round; and to "end all forms of malnutrition, including achieving, by 2025, the 
internationally agreed targets on stunting and wasting in children under 5 years of 
age, and address the nutritional needs of adolescent girls, pregnant and lactating 
women and older persons".3
As many Filipinos continue to suffer from hunger and lack of access to 
adequate food due to poverty, armed conflict, or effects of climate change, it is 
incumbent upon the State to ensure that food will be available, accessible and 
adequate for the entire population. In addition, the State must provide the enabling 
environment that allows the people to produce and procure food that is safe and 
sufficient for themselves, their families and their communities, and in accordance to 
their preferences, specific needs and cultural norms. Further, upholding the right to
3 Goal 2: Zero Hunger - United Nations Sustainable Development
2


food necessitates efforts in promoting sustainable food production and the 
protection of natural resources against destruction and degradation to ensure 
availability of food for future generations.
In view of the foregoing, the immediate passage of this measure is earnestly
sought.
OY EJERCITO ESTRADA


TWENTIETH CONGRESS OF THE 
)
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES 
)
First Regular Session 
)
■ iDfiivp of liir ’i nr
25 AUG-5 P4:23
SENATE 
S. No. H58
Rf-ctiveo i
Introduced by Senator Jinggoy Ejercito Estrada
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:
1 
Section 1. Short Title. - This Act shall be known as the "Right to Adequate
2 
Food Act".
3 
Sec. 2. Declaration of Policy. — Consistent with the principles enshrined in the
4 
Constitution as well as the provisions of the International Covenant on Economic,
5 
Social and Cultural Rights, Convention on the Rights of the Child, and the
6 
Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women, to
7 
which the Philippines is a State Party, it is hereby declared the policy of the State to
8 
guarantee the right to adequate food.
9 
Adequate food is not a matter of charity, but a legal entitlement. Hunger is
10 
inconsistent with human dignity and human rights, and must be eliminated. Towards
11 
this end, the State shall provide for a framework to address and eliminate hunger in
12 
an organized manner, and protect the right of the people to adequate food.
13 
Sec. 3. Definitions. - As used in this Act:
14 
a) Dietary needs refer to a mix of nutrients for physical and mental
15 
growth, development and maintenance, and physical activity, that
16 
follow human physiological needs at all stages throughout the life
17 
cycle, and according to gender and occupation;


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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, that is 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 xe^exs 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 xefexs 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;
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


1 
and lactating mothers and children, particularly those from zero to
2 
twenty-three (23) months of age.
3 
Sec. 4. Progressive Realization of the Right to Adequate Food. - Every person
4 
has the right to have regular, permanent and unrestricted access, either directly or
5 
by means of financial purchases, to quantitatively and qualitatively adequate,
6 
sufficient and safe food, corresponding to the cultural traditions of the people to
7 
which a consumer belongs, and which ensure physical and mental, individual and
8 
collective, fulfilling and dignified life, free of fear.
9 
The right to adequate food is realized when every man, woman and child,
10 
alone or in community with others, have physical and economic access at all times to
11 
adequate food, or means for its procurement. The right to adequate food must not
12 
be interpreted in a narrow or restrictive sense, which equates it with a minimum
13 
package of calories, proteins and other specific nutrients. The right to adequate food
14 
must be realized progressively.
15 
Sec. 5. Core content on the Right to Adequate Food. - The core content of
16 
the right to adequate food includes the concepts of food availability and accessibility,
17 
which must be in a quantity and quality sufficient to satisfy the dietary needs of
18 
individuals, and in ways that are sustainable, and do not interfere with the
19 
enjoyment of other human rights.
20 
Sec. 6. Food Adequacy Standard. - Central to the realization of the right to
21 
adequate food is the standard of adequacy in terms of quality, quantity and cultural
22 
acceptability, sustainability of food avaiiability and access.
23 
The standard of adequacy includes a number of factors which must be
24 
considered in determining whether particular foods or diets that are accessible can
25 
be considered the most appropriate under given circumstances. Sustainability is
26 
intrinsically linked to the concept of adequate food or food security, implying that
27 
food must be accessible to both present and future generations.
28 
The concept of adequacy to a large extent is determined by prevailing social,
29 
economic, cultural, climatic, ecological and other conditions, while sustainability
30 
incorporates long-term availability and accessibility.
31 
Sec. 7. Availability Standard. - Food must be available for feeding oneself
32 
directly from productive land or other natural resources, or for well-functioning


1 
distribution, processing, and market systems, that can move food from the site of
2 
production to where it is needed on accordance with demand.
3 
Sec. 8. Accessibility Standard. - Food accessibility is both economic, which
4 
refers to the acquisition pattern or entitlement through which people procure their
5 
food, and physical food must be accessible to everyone.
6 
Economic accessibility means that the personal or household financial cost
7 
associated with the acquisition of food for an adequate diet should be at a level such
8 
that the attainment and satisfaction of other basic needs are not threatened or
9 
compromised. Economic accessibility applies to any acquisition pattern or
10 
entitlement through which people procure their food, and is a measure of the extent
11 
to which it is satisfactory for the enjoyment of the right to adequate food.
12 
Physical accessibility means that adequate food must be accessible to
13 
everyone, including physically vulnerable individuals, such as infants and young
14 
children, elderly people, those belonging to the informal sector, the physically
15 
disabled, the terminally ill and persons with persistent medical problems, including
16 
the mentally ill. Victims of natural disasters, people living in disaster-prone areas and
17 
other specially disadvantaged groups, and many indigenous peoples groups whose
18 
access to their ancestral lands is threatened, need special attention and priority
19 
consideration with respect to accessibility of food.
20 
Socially vulnerable groups such as landless persons and other particularly
21 
impoverished segments of the population may need attention through special
22 
programs.
23 
Sec. 9. Cultural or Consumer Acceptability. - In providing food, there is a
24 
need to consider, as far as possible, the perceived non-nutrient based values
25 
attached to food and the consumer's concerns on the accessible food supplies.
26 
Food must be free from adverse substances to ensure food safety. Measures
27 
must be taken to maintain, adapt, or strengthen dietary diversity and appropriate
28 
consumption and feeding patterns, including optimal breast-feeding, to ensure that
29 
changes in availability and access to food supply do not negatively affect dietary
30 
composition and intake. Care must also be taken to identify and avoid or destroy
31 
naturally occurring toxins.


1 
Freedom from adverse substances implies that the requirements for food
2 
safety and a range of protective measures are implemented to prevent
3 
contamination of food stuff through adulteration, bad environmental hygiene, or
4 
inappropriate handling at different stages throughout the food chain.
5 
Sec. 10. Conditions for the Exercise of the Right to Adequate Food. - Every
6 
person has the right to live in conditions that shall enable the person to:
7 
a) Acquire food directly from productive land or other natural resources;
8 
or rely on well-functioning food distribution, processing and market
9 
systems, or both;
10 
b) Financially acquire a sufficient quantity and quality of food and to
11 
satisfy other basic needs;
12 
c) Be safe from the risk of losing access to food, as a consequence of
13 
sudden shocks, like an economic or climatic crisis, or one that is
14 
brought about by internal displacements of people, or cyclical events,
15 
such as seasonal food insecurity;
16 
d) Have the opportunity of good food utilization through access to
17 
adequate diet, clean water, sanitation and health care and to reach a
18 
state of nutritional well-being, where all physiological needs are met;
19 
and
20 
e) Access food or diet that is the most appropriate under given
21 
circumstances, 
in terms of their nutritional value and cultural
22 
acceptability.
23 
Every infant, girl and boy, has a right to adequate food and to optimal health,
24 
development and nutrition adequate for their age, growth and development.
25 
Every woman has a right to adequate food and adequate nutrition during
26 
pregnancy and lactation.
27 
Unless it is provided by law, or is necessary for the purpose of a compelling
28 
public interest, and is compatible with the nature of the right to adequate food,
29 
there is no limitation on the right to adequate food.
30 
Sec. 11. Freedom from Hunger. - Every person has a right to be free from
31 
hunger. Every person suffering from hunger or under nutrition or at risk of suffering
32 
from hunger or under nutrition is entitled to a minimum amount of food according to


1 
one's age, sex, health status and occupation, as provided for in Section 19 of this
2 
Act.
3 
Sec. 12. Principles. - The provisions of this Act are founded on the rights-
4 
based principles of participation, accountability, non-discrimination, transparency,
5 
human dignity, empowerment, and rule of law, and are consistent with the
6 
progressive realization of the right to adequate food.
7 
Sec. 13. Non-discrimination. - Any distinction, exclusion, or restriction made
8 
on the basis of race, coior, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion, national
9 
or social origin, property, birth or other status, which has the effect or purpose of
10 
impairing or limiting the capacity of an individual to exercise the right to adequate
11 
food, is unlawful and shall be sanctioned in accordance with law.
12 
All forms of discrimination against women with regard to the right to
13 
adequate food, including less favorable treatment of women for reasons of
14 
pregnancy and maternity, shall be eliminated and prevented. The equality of
15 
opportunities between men and women shall be promoted.
16 
The prohibition of discrimination shall not include government action to
17 
remedy past effects of discrimination against particular individuals or groups and to
18 
promote equality of opportunities with regard to the right to adequate food.
19 
Sec. 14. Governmental Obligations. - The State, as the primary duty bearer,
20 
has the duty to respect, protect, and fulfil the right to adequate food and maintain
21 
food sovereignty, in accordance with the conditions provided under Section 10 of
22 
this Act.
23 
The State has the core obligation to take the necessary action to mitigate and
24 
alleviate hunger, even in times of natural or other disasters. The right to be free
25 
from hunger ensures a minimum daily nutritional intake and the bare survival of a
26 
person. The right to adequate food goes beyond freedom from hunger.
27 
a) Respect - the State has the obligation not to interfere with or impair
28 
the enjoyment of the right to adequate food. No public authority may
29 
deprive any person of food or means for its procurement, apply laws
30 
and regulations, or pursue a policy or practice, in a way that may result
31 
in preventing the enjoyment of or infringing the human right to


1 
adequate food, or repeal formally or suspend legislation necessary for
2 
the continued enjoyment of the right to adequate food.
3 
b) Protect - the State has the duty to provide guarantees against threats
4 
and risks stemming from private actors or societal forces that are
5 
controllable by State action. It shall take preventive measures
6 
necessary to protect persons whose capacities to access sufficient and
7 
adequate food or means for its procurement are endangered by the
8 
acts of others. It also must review the relevant administrative and
9 
legislative framework ensuring that activities within their competence
10 
undertaken by private actors do not infringe on the right to adequate
11 
food of others.
12 
c) Fulfill- the State shall facilitate the enjoyment of the right to adequate
13 
food by adopting or pursuing appropriate policies and measures that
14 
promote the human right to adequate food and to create and maintain
15 
conditions under which every person can freely and regularly enjoy the
16 
right to adequate food.
17 
Sec. 15. Targets. - The State shall ensure that in two and a half years (2 Vi)
18 
after the effectivity of this Act, the incidence of hunger is reduced by twenty-five
19 
percent (25%) from the level recorded at the time of the passage of this Act:
20 
Provided, That five (5) years after the effectivity of this Act, such incidence of
21 
hunger will be further reduced by twenty-five percent (25%): Provided, further. That
22 
in seven and a half (7 V2) years, the incidence of hunger will be further reduced by
23 
twenty-five percent (25%): Provided, finally. That in ten (10) years, there shall be
24 
zero hunger incidence.
25 
The State shall also ensure that within ten (10) years from the effectivity of
26 
this Act, land devoted to food production is increased to fifty percent (50%) of all
27 
prime agricultural land in every region, and within the same period, the State shall
28 
ensure that the following indicators are considerably and steadily increased:
29 
a) Percentage of development of ancestral lands;
30 
b) Percentage of rural population with access to productive resources;
31 
c) Share of budget spent on programs aimed at creating access to productive
32 
resources;


1 
d) Percentage of budget spent on agri-research, agri-extension, irrigation,
2 
training, technology, credits and rural development;
3 
e) Percentage of rural female-headed households, or rural women, with legal
4 
title to agriculture lands;
5 
f) Percentage of public budget allocation for social transfer programs to
6 
those unable to feed themselves;
7 
g) Coverage of marginalized and disadvantaged population taking part in
8 
social transfer programs;
9 
h) Percentage of marginalized and disadvantaged population covered by a
10 
public nutrition supplement program;
11 
i) Percentage of population aware of available food and nutrition programs;
12 
and
13 
j) Coverage of school feeding programs.
14 
The percentage rates used as indicators herein shall also be stipulated in the
15 
rules and regulations issued to implement the provisions of this Act.
16 
Periodic reviews shall be undertaken to ensure compliance with set targets. In
17 
the implementation of this Act, priority shall be given to identify areas with
18 
chronically malnourished population. In measuring the incidence of hunger, the key
19 
primary data sources will include national nutrition surveys of the Philippine Statistics
20 
Authority (PSA), namely the Family Income and Expenditure Survey and the Annual
21 
Poverty Indicators Survey, and global hunger indices as benchmarks.
22 
Sec. 16. Institutional Responsibilities. - The following agencies of the
23 
government are required to fulfil their respective mandates in a manner that shall
24 
ensure full implementation of the primary objectives of this Act:
25 
a) Department of Agriculture (DA);
26 
b) Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR);
27 
c) Department of Budget and Management (DBM);
28 
d) Department of Education (DepEd);
29 
e) Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR);
30 
f) Department of Health (DOH);
31 
g) Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG);
32 
h) Department of Justice (DOJ);


1 
i) Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE);
2 
j) Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH);
3 
k) Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD);
4 
I) Department of Science and Technology (DOST);
5 
m) Department of Trade and Industry (DTI);
6 
n) Commission on Human Rights (CHR);
7 
o) Commission on Higher Education (CHED);
8 
p) National Anti-Poverty Commission (NAPC);
9 
q) National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA);
10 
r) National Food Authority (NFA);
11 
s) National Nutrition Council (NNC);
12 
t) Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA); and
13 
u) Other agencies and instrumentalities of the government whose
14 
functions are necessary for the efficient and effective implementation
15 
of the right to adequate food.
16 
In addition, the development of a fully integrated whole-of-government
17 
approach to implement the national policy governing the right to adequate food and
18 
the use of a human rights-based approach for the establishment and implementation
19 
of the national policy must be institutionalized.
20 
Sec. 17. Commission on the Right to Adequate Food. - There is hereby
21 
created a Commission on the Right to Adequate Food, hereinafter referred to as the
22 
Commission, which shall be attached to the Office of the President.
23 
The Commission shall be the primary policy-making and coordinating body to
24 
guarantee full exercise of the right to adequate food. It shall exercise monitoring
25 
and oversight functions, apply human rights principles, conduct objective impact
26 
assessment on all government policies, programs and projects prior to adoption and
27 
implementation, work in close cooperation and coordination with relevant
28 
government agencies and in consultations with civil society organizations and the
29 
private sector, and use all available resources for the efficient and effective
30 
implementation of this Act.
31 
It shall formulate a national food policy consistent with the policy formulated
32 
by the Inter-Agency Task Force on Zero Hunger. The Commission shall implement


1 
programs of action to eradicate hunger, achieve food security, improve nutrition and
2 
promote sustainable agriculture.
3 
The Commission on the Right to Adequate Food shall have the following
4 
powers:
5 
a) Receive complaints of violations of the right to adequate food from
6 
individuals and groups;
7 
b) Investigate, motu propio, or upon complaint by any party, all forms of
8 
violations of the right to adequate food;
9 
c) Adopt operational guidelines and rules of procedure, and cite for contempt
10 
individuals and groups for their violations in accordance with the Rules of
11 
Court;
12 
d) Provide appropriate legal measures for the protection of the right to
13 
adequate food of all persons within the Philippines, as well as Philippine
14 
citizens residing abroad, and provide for preventive measures and legal
15 
aid services to the underprivileged whose right to adequate food has been
16 
violated or needs protection;
17 
e) Establish a continuing program of research, education and information to
18 
enhance respect for the primacy of the right to adequate food;
19 
f) Recommend to Congress effective measures to promote the right to
20 
adequate food, to harmonize existing laws affecting the right to adequate
21 
food, to ensure their complementation, and the availability of remedies for
22 
violations and compensation to victims of violations of the right to
23 
adequate food;
24 
g) Monitor the Government's compliance with its obligations in regard to the
25 
right to adequate food;
26 
h) Request the assistance of any department, bureau, office or agency in the
27 
performance of its functions;
28 
i) Appoint officers and employees in accordance with law; and
29 
j) Perform such other duties and functions as may be provided by law.
30 
Sec. 18. Composition. - The Commission is composed of a chairperson and
31 
two (2) members who must be natural-born citizens; at least thirty-five (35) years of
32 
age, at the time of their appointment; and must not have been candidates for any
10


1 
elective position in the elections immediately preceding their appointment. At least
2 
one (1) of them must be a member of the Philippine Bar.
3 
The Chairperson and members of the Commission shall not, during their
4 
tenure, hold any other office or employment. Neither shall they engage in the
5 
practice of any profession, or in the active management or control of any business
6 
which, in any way, may affect the functions of their office, nor shall they be
7 
financially interested, directly or indirectly, in any contract with, or in any franchise
8 
or privilege granted by the government, any of its subdivisions, agencies or
9 
instrumentalities, including government-owned or controlled corporations or their
10 
subsidiaries.
11 
The Chairperson and members of the Commission shall be appointed by the
12 
President and shall not be reappointed to another term. From among the members,
13 
one (1) shall serve as the Chairperson and shall hold office for ten (10) years,
14 
another member shall be appointed as Commissioner for seven (7) years, and
15 
another shall be appointed Commissioner and shall serve for five (5) years, without
16 
reappointment. A member who shall be appointed to fill a vacancy shall serve only
17 
the unexpired portion of the term of the predecessor. In no case shall any member
18 
be appointed or designated in a temporary or acting capacity.
19 
The Chairperson and members of the Commission shall receive the same
20 
salary, benefits, privileges and emoluments of a Cabinet Secretary and
21 
Undersecretary respectively.
22 
Sec. 19. Standards on the Amount of Food. - Within one (1) year from the
23 
effectivity of this Act, the Commission shall, in consultations with the DSWD, DILG,
24 
NNC and the DOH, issue guidelines on the minimum amount of food for persons
25 
who are suffering from hunger or undernourishment, or are at risk from suffering
26 
from hunger of undernourishment, but who cannot take care of their own needs,
27 
due to reasons beyond their control, including children whose parents die or
28 
disappear, or otherwise no longer take care of them, elderly, and persons with
29 
disabilities. The guidelines include:
30 
a) The exact quantity of calories, proteins and micronutrients, to which
31 
the minimum amount of food will correspond, according to the age,
32 
sex, health status and occupation of a person;
11


1 
b) A simple and accessible application or certification procedure for the
2 
minimum amount of food entitlement with transparent, fair and non-
3 
discriminatory eligibility or certification criteria; and
4 
c) Relief mechanisms to ensure that such individuals are provided with
5 
their minimum food requirement.
6 
Specific support measures shall be designed and adopted to prevent or
7 
compensate for disadvantages of the identified vulnerable persons or groups suffer
8 
from, with regard to the enjoyment of their right to adequate food.
9 
Sec. 20. Emergencies. - The Commission in coordination with the National
10 
Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) shall:
11 
a) Provide food emergency responses which sufficiently cover both early
12 
warning responses and disaster preparedness in case of a crisis; and
13 
organize and manage food responses efficiently and effectively;
14 
b) Ensure that food supply responses are compatible with the right to
15 
adequate food and international standards regulating emergencies;
16 
and
17 
c) Initiate requests for international assistance in case of necessity; and
18 
supervise and coordinate properly the distribution of food to intended
19 
recipients.
20 
Sec. 21. Information Dissemination. - All government agencies, under the
21 
direction of the Commission in coordination with the Philippine News Agency (PNA)
22 
and Philippine Information Agency (PIA), shall:
23 
a) Inform the population about the rights established in this Act and the
24 
implementing rules and regulations adopted upon its passage into law
25 
and other measures taken for the purpose of facilitating and promoting
26 
the realization of the right to adequate food; and
27 
b) Use the most appropriate ways and methods of disseminating
28 
information by providing information through all media forms; and in
29 
local languages, notably in the most marginalized areas and among
30 
populations with a high rate of illiteracy.
31 
Sec. 22. Education and Awareness Program. - The Commission, in
32 
coordination with the DedEd, CHED, and TESDA, shall ensure that:
12


1 
a) School curriculum includes materials related to food and nutrition
2 
education, the right to adequate food and human rights principles; and
3 
b) Relevant adult education and training programs shall include materials
4 
related to food and nutrition, the right to adequate food and human
5 
rights principles.
6 
Sec. 23. International Cooperation. - The Commission, in coordination with
7 
the CHR and the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), shall:
8 
a) Ensure that activities undertaken in other countries, including those by
9 
private actors, do not infringe on the enjoyment of the right to
10 
adequate food by people in the concerned countries, in coordination
11 
with DA, DTI, DOH, and NEDA and other relevant agencies;
12 
b) Promote international cooperation and help to ensure the realization of
13 
the right to adequate food in other countries, if in a position to do so;
14 
and
15 
c) Ensure that international and other agreements which the Philippine
16 
Government enters into, consider the guarantee on the right to food.
17 
Sec. 24. Monitoring and Evaiuation System. - There shall be an integrated
18 
monitoring system that shall ensure that all government agencies at all levels, under
19 
the supervision of the Commission on the Right to Adequate Food, shall:
20 
a) Collect data related to food and nutrition security, using monitoring
21 
methodologies and processes consistent with human rights principles;
22 
b) Disaggregate collected data by age, sex, income, bracket, civil status
23 
and ethnicity;
24 
c) Monitor progress achieved in the realization of the right to adequate
25 
food; and
26 
d) Establish or identify an early warning mechanism for food supply
27 
shortages and emergencies.
28 
Sec. 25. Representation and Participation of People's Organizations and Civil
29 
Society. - To guarantee public participation, the Commission shall ensure that:
30 
a) All persons can freely and meaningfully participate in all forms of public
31 
discourse, access information and exercise freedom of association, in
13


1 
relation to the formulation and implementation of policies pertaining to
2 
the right to adequate food;
3 
b) Civil society and other stakeholders actively participate in the
4 
institutions that oversee the realization of the right to adequate food,
5 
as well as in formulating capacity building mechanisms and special
6 
measures for disadvantaged groups; and
7 
c) National public hearings are conducted every two (2) years, at which
8 
the government is required to report on the progress made with the
9 
implementation of this Act, and progressive realization of the right to
10 
adequate food in the country.
11 
Sec. 26. Pena! Provisions. - The penalty of imprisonment of six (6) months
12 
and one (1) day to six (6) years, or a fine of not less than One hundred thousand
13 
pesos (P100,000.00) but not more than Five hundred thousand pesos
14 
(P500,000.00), or both, at the discretion of the court, shall be imposed on any
15 
person who causes the starvation or denial of the access to food of any particular
16 
individual or group, through the commission of any of the following acts:
17 
a) Blockade;
18 
b) Refusal to implement a food-related program;
19 
c) Discrimination in implementing a food-related program;
20 
d) Negligence in implementing food-related programs, resulting in death;
21 
e) Obstructing access to food in time of calamity or war;
22 
f) Theft, corruption or black marketeering of food being given as
23 
humanitarian aid, in times of calamity or war;
24 
g) Distribution of expired, or unsafe food at a school feeding program or
25 
other feeding program, in times of calamity or war;
26 
h) Contamination of food or water sources, through mining activities,
27 
aerial spraying of plantations, or any other similar means; and
28 
i) Other analogous acts.
29 
Provided, That the penalty is imposable without prejudice to any other
30 
criminal, civil or administrative liability under existing laws. If the act committed is
31 
food blockade during armed conflict, the penalty imposable shall be without
32 
prejudice to the application of Republic Act No. 9851 or the "Philippine Act on Crimes
14


1 
Against International Humanitarian Law, Genocide and Other Crimes against
2 
Humanity", and other relevant laws.
3 
Sec. 27. Civil and Administrative Liabilities. - The government shall ensure the
4 
enjoyment of the rights guaranteed in this Act and perform the duties provided for in
5 
this Act. Appropriate cases may be filed before the courts to compel compliance with
6 
the provisions of this Act. These cases shall be without prejudice to liability for
7 
damages and administrative liability that may be incurred.
8 
If the violator is a public official or employee, in addition to the penalty of
9 
imprisonment or fine or both, the accessory penalty of perpetual absolute
10 
disqualification to hold public office shall be imposed.
11 
Sec. 28. Appropriations. - There shall be an allocation in the annual budget
12 
specifically for the purposes of the implementation of the right to adequate food, in
13 
accordance with priorities set by the Commission on the Right to Adequate Food.
14 
The allocation shall be aimed at the progressive realization of the right to adequate
15 
food over the long term.
16 
Sec. 29. Implementing Rules and Regulations. - Within sixty (60) days from
17 
the effectivity of this Act, the Chairperson of the Commission, shall, in coordination
18 
with the CHR, DA, DAR, DSWD, DOH, DTI, DPWH, NEDA, NNC, and NAPC and
19 
people's organizations and human rights nongovernmental 
organizations,
20 
promulgate the necessary rules and regulations for the effective implementation of
21 
this Act.
22 
Sec. 30. Rationalization of Policies. - All existing policies, laws, decrees,
23 
executive orders, memorandum orders, memorandum circulars, administrative
24 
orders, and ordinances shall be rationalized and interpreted in a way that shall
25 
guarantee the realization of the right to adequate food as provided for by this Act.
26 
Cabinet secretaries and other executive authorities involved in the
27 
implementation of the right to adequate food shall report on a regular basis to the
28 
Commission on the Right to Adequate Food on legislative and regulatory measures
29 
that have been formulated and adopted, and the time frames within which they are
30 
envisaged to achieve their objectives in order to achieve zero hunger.
15


1 
Sec. 31. Separability Clause. - If any part or provision of this Act shall be
2 
declared or held to be unconstitutional or invalid, other parts or provisions hereof
3 
which are not affected thereby shall continue to be in full force and effect.
4 
Sec. 32. Repealing Clause. - Any law, presidential decree or issuance,
5 
executive order, letter of instruction, administrative order, rule, or regulation
6 
contrary to or inconsistent with the provisions of this Act are hereby repealed,
7 
modified, or amended accordingly.
8 
Sec. 33. Effectivity Clause. - This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after
9 
its publication in the Official Gazette or in at least two (2) national newspapers of 
10 general circulation.
Approved,
16