INTRODUCED BY REP. CONGW. ATTY. MARGARITA IGNACIA 8. NOGRALES,
PBA PARTY LIST
EXPLANATORY NOTE
In the  1987 constitution, there is no statement that explicitly guarantees people's human
right to adequate food.   Although Article Ill,  Section I, upholds the right to life where adequate
food  is  implied,  as  such,  it  is  scattered  in different laws  such as the  Republic Act 6657  or the
Comprehensive  Agrarian  Reform  Act,  Republic  Act  8435  or  the  Agriculture  and  Fisheries
Modernization Act, Republic Act 8550 or the Philippine Fisheries Code, Rice Tariffication Act or
Republic Act 11203.   It is only in the Section 10 of the Republic Act 9710 or the Magma Carta on
Women that explicitly stated the right to protection and security in times of disasters. calamities,
ad other crisis situation especially in cz//pfeczse,s' a/re/i.€/and shall provide z.77€777ccJz.cz/e fez/mo#;.r¢rz.cz77
cz,ss'z.Ls'/##c.c, c7//occz/j.o# a/res'o#rces and early resettlement if necessary.  However, it only concerns
Women.
The realization of the right to adequate food is not merely  a promise to be met through
charity but it must be a Human Rights for all.
The lack of explicit framework government the right to food leads to non-fulfillment and
neglect and violation of the fundament right.
In order to rationalize and harmonize existing legislations to Right to Adequate Food, this
representation seeks the immediate passage of this bill.
CONGW. ATTY.
PBA Party List


Republic of the Philippines
HOUSEOFREPRF.SF.NTATIVES
Quezon City
NINHTEENTH CONGRHSS
First Regular Session
HOusH BIi,i NO. rm
INTRODUCED BY REP. CONGW. ATTY. MARGARITA IGNACIA 8. NOGRALES,
PBA PARTY LIST
``AN ACT
PROVIDING A FRAMEWORK TO PROTECT AND PROMOTE THE RIGHT TO
ADEQUATH 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"
SHC.   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 intemal 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
9.   Vulnerable groups refer to those who are particularly disadvantaged such as indigenous
peoples,  ethnic,  linguistic  or  religious  minorities,  persons  with  disabilities,  persons
living with IIuman lmmunodeficiency Virus (I~IIV) or Acquired Immune Deficiency
Syndrome (AIDS), refugees and interna]ly 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
sustainab]e, and do not interfere with the enjoyment of other human rights.


SHC. 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.
SI]C. 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.  Economic  accessibility
applies to any acquisition pattern or entitlement through which people procure their food, and is a
measure of the extent to which it is satisfactory for the enjoyment of the right to adequate food.
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.
SF.C.  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. Care must also be taken to identify
and avoid or destroy naturally occurring toxins.
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.
SI]C.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 sufflcient 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 circunistances, 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 under nutrition,  or at risk of suffering  from hunger or under
nutrition 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.
SHC.  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.
SHC.  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.
The  prohibition  of discrimination  shall  not  include  government  action  to  remedy  past
effects  of discrimination  against  particular  individuals  or  groups  and  to  promote  equality  of
opportunities with regard to the right to adequate food.
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 hunnan 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:  Provided,  That  five  (5)  years  after  the
effectivity of this Act,  such incidence of hunger will be further reduced by twenty-five percent
(25%):  Provided, further, That in seven and a half (7  1/2) years, the incidence of hunger will be
further reduced by twenty-five percent (25%): Provided, finally, That 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, and, within the same period, the State shall ensure that the following indicators are
considerably and steadily increased:
a.    Percentage of development of ancestral lands;
b.   Percentage of rural population with access to productive resources;
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;
9.    Coverage of marginalized and disadvantaged population taking part in social transfer
programs;
h.    Percentage ofmarginalized 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.  In  measuring  the  incidence  of hunger,  the  key  primary  data  sources  will  include
national nutrition surveys, household surveys of the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA), namely
the Family Income and Expenditure Survey and the Annual Poverty Indicators Survey, and global
hunger indices as benchmarks.
SEC.16. institutional Responsibilities. - The following agencies of the government are
required to fulfil 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);
9.   Department of the Interior and Local Goverrment (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);
I.     Department of science and Technology (DOST);
in.  Department of Trade and Industry (DTI);
n.    Commission on lluman Rights (CI-IR);
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); and
u.   other  agencies  and  instrumentalities  of the  goverrment  whose  functions  are
necessary for the efficient and effective implementation of the right to adequate
food.
In  addition,  the  development  of a  fully  integrated  whole-of-government  approach  to
implement the national policy governing the right to adequate food and the use of a human rights-
based  approach   for  the   establishment  and   implementation  of  the  national  policy  must  be
institutionalized.
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.
It shall formulate a national food policy consistent with the policy formulated by the Inter-
Agency  Task  Force  on Zero  Hunger.  The  Commission  shall  implement programs  of action to
eradicate hunger, achieve food security, improve nutrition, and promote sustainable agriculture.
The Commission on the Right to Adequate Food shall have the following powers:
a.    Receive complaints of violations of the right to adequate food from individuals
and groups;
b.   Investigate, motu propio, 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;
9.   Monitor the Govemment'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.  18.  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.
The Chairperson and members of the Commission shall not, during their tenure, hold any
other office or employment. Neither shall they engage in the practice of any profession, or in the
active management or control of any business which, in any-way, may affect the functions of their
office, nor shall they be financially interested, directly or indirectly, in any contract with, or in any
franchise   or   privilege   granted   by   the   government,   any   of  its   subdivisions,   agencies,   or
instrumentalities, including government-owned or controlled corporations or their subsidiaries.
The Chairperson and members of the Commission shall be appointed by the President and
shall not be reappointed  to  another term.  From among the members,  one  (1)  shall  serve as the
chairperson  and  shall  hold  office  for  ten  (10)  years,  another  member  shall  be  appointed  as
Commissioner for seven (7) years, and another shall be appointed Commissioner and shall serve
for five (5) years, without reappointment. A member who shall be appointed to fill a vacancy shall
serve only the unexpired portion of the term of the predecessor. In no case shall any member be
appointed or designated in a temporary or acting capacity.
The Chairperson and members of the Commission shall receive the same salary, benefits,
privileges and emoluments of a cabinet secretary and undersecretary, respectively.
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.
Specific  support measures  shall  be  designed  and adopted  to prevent or compensate  for
disadvantages  of the  identified  vulnerable  persons  or  groups  suffer  from,  with  regard  to  the
enjoyment of their right to adequate food.
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  waming
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 intemational assistance  in case  of necessity,  and  supervise and
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; and
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. Intemational Cooperation. -The Commission, in coordination with the CI`IR
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.    Nationalpublic hearings are conducted everytwo            (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 imprisorment of six (6) months and one (1 )
day to six (6) years, or a fine of not less than one hundred thousand pesos (P100,000.00) but not
more than five hundred thousand pesos (P500,000.00). 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 acts:
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;
9.    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.
Provided That, the penalty is imposable without prejudice to any other criminal, civil or
administrative liability under existing laws.  If the act committed is food blockade during armed
conflict, the penalty imposable shall be without prejudice to the application of Republic Act No.
9851,  or the  "Philippine Act on Crimes against International  Humanitarian Law,  Genocide and
Other Crimes against IIumanity," and other relevant laws.
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.  These cases  shall be without prejudice to liability for damages and administrative liability
that may be incurred.
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. The allocation shall be aimed
at the progressive realization of the right to adequate food over the long term.
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 nongovemmental 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.
Cabinet secretaries and other executive authorities involved in the implementation of the
right to adequate food shall report on a regular basis to the Commission on the Right to Adequate
Food on legislative and regulatory measures that have been formulated and adopted, and the time
frameswithinwhichtheyareenvisagedtoachievetheirobjectivesinordertoachievezerohunger.


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
fill 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.
SHC. 33. Effectivity, --This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its publication in
the Ofricial Gazette or in a newspaper of general circulation.
Approved,