ON

/,” RECEIVED %
are: MAY 2.9

SEVENTEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Session
HOUSE BILL No.2 746

Introduced by REPRESENTATIVE EMI CALIXTO-RUBIANO

EXPLANATORY NOTE

Under the principle of the waste hierarchy, the greatest level of effort should be
made when trying to reduce the level of surplus food created. Prevention of food
waste at source must be avoided in order to retain valuable materials and so as not
to warrant a costly waste management exercises. While some food ‘waste’ is
unavoidable, businesses and manufacturers can use modern computer monitoring
systems and new technologies to significantly reduce the volume. Accordingly,
based on the study for the International Congress at the Interpack 2011 Germany,
entitled: “Global Food Losses and Food Waste’, 1/3 of food produced for human
consumption is lost or wasted globally, which amounts to 1.3 billions tons per year.

In case of food manufacturing, steps should be taken to assess the root
cause of ‘waste’ including the possibility of human error or a technological fault
Technology exists to monitor the points in a production process where surplus food
is created. If operatives are able to key in additional elements of details about the
‘source of the food waste, computer analysis will then help the manufacturer process
the data, and create reports according to specific machine, production lines and time
periods.

Hence, the objective of this bill is to effectively establish a policy that will
ensure an information management system in the process of redistributing and
recycling food waste, such as a “Technology Food Waste Management System” with
a corresponding Food Related Business Waste Strategy coupled with National Zero
Food Waste Scheme. Such policy will address the needed “food production”, “proper
handling’, including proper food waste management in business restaurants, grocery
stores, fast food outlets, and food companies in order to prevent health hazards as

1


well as the promotion of food security by donating excess or unsold “edible” food to
charities and food banks that can still utilized to be able to address the needs of the
people who are in the state of hunger estimated to be around 2.6 million Filipino
families.

This bill is a counterpart measure of Senate Bill No. 357 introduced by Senator
Paolo Benigno “Bam” Aquino IV and Senate Bill No. 984 introduced by Senator
Francis Pangilinan in the Philippine Senate of the present Congress.

Hence, approval of this measure is earnestly sought.

LRLE
EMI CALIXTO-RUBIANO
Representative
Lone District of Pasay City


Republic of the Philippines

House of Representatives
Quezon City, Metro Manila

SEVENTEENTH CONGRESS.
First Regular Session

HOUSE RESOLUTION No. 5746

AN ACT
PROVIDING FOR A SYSTEM OF REDISTRIBUTING
AND RECYCLING FOOD WASTE TO PROMOTE FOOD SECURITY

Be it enacted by the Senate and the House of Representatives of the
Philippines in Congress assembled:

SEC. 1. Short Title. - This Act shall be known as the “Zero Food Waste Act.”

Sec. 2. Declaration of Policy. - The State recognizes that each person has
a right to an adequate standard of living, including to sufficient food. It is hereby
declared a policy of the State to safeguard food security, end hunger, and promote
the efficient use of the country's food resources.

Towards this end, the State shall adopt a system to promote, facilitate, and
ensure the reduction of food waste through redistribution and recycling. The massive
amount of food wasted and the considerable number of people going hungry daily is
a breach that this Act intends to correct.

Sec. 3. Definition of Terms. — As used in this Act, the following terms shall
mean:

a. Food insecure refers to persons or groups of persons who have difficulty
producing or purchasing food to avoid hunger;


b. Edible food waste refers to food discarded in the retail and consumption
stages, determined to be fit for consumption based on standards set by
the National Nutrition Council;

c. Food waste reduction refers to the decrease of food waste generation, the
redistribution of food waste to the food insecure or the recycling of food as
fertilizer or compost;

d. Food-related businesses refers to public and private businesses involved
in the manufacturing and processing of food products (i.e. food
manufacturers), private businesses involved in the wholesaling and
retailing of food products (i.e. supermarkets), and private businesses
involved in serving food products (i.e. restaurants, cafeterias, and hotels);

e. Food banks refer to non-profit, charitable or other social mission-driven
organizations that distribute food to the food insecure;

f._ Inedible food waste refers to food discarded in the retail and consumption
stages, determined to be unfit for consumption based on standards set by
the National Nutrition Council; and

g. Waste management and recycling enterprises refer to organizations that
manage inedible food waste by converting these into fertilizers or compost.

Sec. 4. National Zero Food Waste Campaign. — The National Nutrition
Council (NNC), in close coordination with the Department of Environment and
Natural Resources (DENR), the Department of Social Welfare and Development
(DSWD), the Department of Education (DepEd), the Department of Trade and
Industry (DTI), the Department of Health (DOH), other concerned agencies and
Local Government Units (LGUs), is hereby tasked to undertake a National Zero Food
Waste Campaign to raise awareness about the consequences of wasted food, the
Zero Food Waste Act, and the food waste reduction efforts required of food-related
businesses and households through the LGUs. The Campaign shall also promote
the food waste reduction hierarchy, and recommend means of reducing individual
food waste.

DepEd shall have the duty to ensure that the education curriculum includes
materials on the current global and national food waste situation, on ways to reduce
food waste, on national and local good waste prevention programs, and regarding
the provisions of this Act. DTI shall encourage food-related businesses to purchase
lower-price, non-standard size or shape produce to be used in their food products.

Sec. 5. Food-related Business Waste Reduction Strategy. — Food-related
businesses such as food manufacturers, supermarkets, restaurants, cafeterias, and
hotels are hereby required to:

a. Submit an initial report to the DSWD and DENR that contains data on the
amount (in tons) of its edible and inedible food waste in the past year,

4


organized according to the manner of disposal, including donation,
composting or discarding;

b. Submit an annual report to the DSWD and DENR that contains data on the
amount (in tons) of its edible and inedible food waste in the immediately
precedent year, organized according to the manner of disposal, including
donation, composting, or discarding;

c. Enter into a contract with food banks to redistribute edible food waste to
the food insecure;

d. Shoulder the costs of transporting edible food waste from business
location to the food bank’s warehouse or distribution center;

e. Ensure that edible food waste is unadulterated and in good condition upon
arrival at the food bank's distribution center;

f. Enter into a contract with waste management and recycling enterprises to
recycle inedible food waste into fertilizer or compost;

g. Shoulder the costs of transporting inedible food waste from collection
areas to waste management sites; and

h. Reach and maintain food waste levels at the target set by the DENR.

Sec. 6. National Zero Food Waste Scheme. — DSWD, as the coordinating
agency between the food businesses and food banks, shall:

a. Provide guidelines and standards for the collection, storage, and
distribution of edible food donated to food banks;

b. Ensure that food businesses have entered into contracts with food banks
and issue acceptance certificates to food businesses;

c. Promote linkages between food banks and LGUs to create a community-
based food distribution system for the food insecure; and

d. Create a Self-Sufficiency Program that will provide the food insecure with
skills training on managing food banks and livelihood programs to avoid
the dependence on donation solely.

Sec. 7. Household and Local Government Unit Waste Reduction
Strategy. — LGUs are hereby required to:

a. Submit an initial report that contains data on the amount (in tons) of
inedible food waste that can be recycled as raw material for fertilizers or
compost to DENR;


b. Submit an annual report that contains data on the amount (in tons) of
inedible food waste that has been recycled as raw material for fertilizers or
compost to the DENR;

c. Initiate waste segregation efforts per household through local
campaigns;

d. Enter into a contract with waste management and recycling enterprises
to recycle inedible food waste from households into fertilizer or compost;

e. Shoulder the costs of transporting inedible food waste from collection
areas to waste management sites; and

f. Reach and maintain inedible food waste levels at the target set by the
DENR.

Sec. 8. Penal Provisions. - The penalty of prision correccional will be
imposed on any individual, private or public, who deliberately makes food waste unfit
for consumption. The same penalty is applicable to private or public actors who
prevent the redirection of edible food waste to food banks or inedible food waste to
waste management and recycling enterprises.

Sec. 9. Implementing Rules and Regulations. - Within sixty (60) days from
the effectivity of this Act, the National Nutrition Council, in coordination with the
Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), the Department of
Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), the Department of Education (DepEd),
the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), the Department of Health (DOH), and
other relevant government agencies, shall promulgate the necessary rules and
regulations for the effective implementation of this Act.

Sec. 10. Periodic Review. The implementing agencies shall submit an
annual report to Congress on the progress in the implementation of this Act.

Sec. 11. Appropriations. The funds needed to implement this Act shall be
included in the annual General Appropriations Act.

Sec. 12. Separability Clause. — Should any provision herein be declared
unconstitutional, the same shall not affect the validity of the other provisions of this
Act.

Sec. 13. Repealing Clause. All laws, decrees, orders, rules, and regulations
or other issuances or parts inconsistent with the provisions of this Act are hereby
repealed or modified accordingly.

Sec. 14. Effectivity. This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its
publication in the Official Gazette or in any two (2) newspapers of general circulation
in the Philippines.

Approved,