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Republic of the Philippines

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES {
Quezon Ci

Seventeenth Congress
First Regular Session

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HOUSE BILL NO. Be 4

Introduced by Honorable Rodante D. Marcoleta

EXPLANATORY NOTE

In the Philippines, under-nourishment or malnutrition has always been
a grave concern. The malnutrition problem is a manifestation of widespread
poverty in the country. Thus, it is prevalent in depressed barangays and

municipalities in the rural areas and the countryside.

Consistent with its commitment to the Sustainable Development
Goals, the government seeks to combat malnutrition as the country struggles
to reduce health problems of micronutrient and protein-energy malnutrition
including vitamin A deficiency disorders (VADO), iron deficiency anemia .
(IDA) and iodine deficiency disorders (IDO), the latter being considered one
of the developing countries’ most debilitating and intractable public health
problems affecting nearly two billion people, majority of whom are children.

Malnutrition hampers the physical growth of a child and later affects

his mental health, productivity and prospect for employment. The problem


of malnutrition, therefore, calls for a more lasting solution. It calls for an
integrated development approach that complements traditional nutrition
intervention. The Barangay Integrated Development Approach for Nutrition

Improvement (BIDANI) is one such approach

BIDANT will be an active research program to be spearheaded by the
participating state colleges and universities as a regular program that will
address the nutritional and general well-being of the poor following the
National Nutrition Council’s (NNC) theme, “Pagkain at paglaki ay
bantayan, upang ang wastong nutrisyon ay makamtan.” In a way, it will
seek to encourage every family and community to maintain children’s

normal growth, through proper diet and regular growth monitoring, a
household habit.

This bill seeks to establish the BIDANI network program. There is a
need to put nutrition at the forefront of learning and expose the different
principles of medicines in relation to nutrition. Once approved, the national
government is assured of a partner in providing proper nutrition to the
people, particularly the poor. Likewise, it shall ensure the promotion of a

healthy and productive citizenry.

In view of the foregoing, approval of this bill is earnestly sought.



Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City, Metro Manila

Seventeenth Congress
First Regular Session

HOUSE BILL No. 2°4

Introduced by Honorable Rodante D. Marcoleta

AN ACT
ESTABLISHING THE BARANGAY INTEGRATED
DEVELOPMENT APPROACH FOR NUTRITION IMPROVEMENT
(BIDANI) OF THE RURAL POOR AS A NETWORK PROGRAM OF
THE PARTICIPATING STATE COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES
AND APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREFOR

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

SE

ION 1. Short Title. — This Act shall be known as the “Barangay
Integrated Development Approach for Nutrition Improvement (BIDANI)
Act.”

SEC. 2. Declaration of Policy. — It is hereby declared the policy of
the State to recognize nutrition as a basic human right, just as the rights to
health and to life are. Towards this end, the State shall promote vigorously

the importance of nutrition as a public good and a public concern that can be


achieved satisfactorily through a multi-sectoral support. It shall work
towards the provision of the nutritional needs of the poor sector of the
Filipino society who are deprived of said right. Further, the State shall give
utmost support to programs and projects that are responsive to the nutritional
needs of the people

SEC. 3. Objectives — This Act shall have the following objectives:

a) to encourage the cooperation and participation of academic

institutions and local government units in promoting the
nutritional well- being of the people;

b

to evolve among state universities and colleges (SUCs) an
effective action-research network program that will improve the
nutrition and general well-being of the rural poor, thereby
assisting in the development of local communities; and

c

to enhance the productivity and employability of the rural poor by
improving their nutrition and life status.

SEC. 4. Establishment of the Barangay Integrated Development
Approach for Nutrition Improvement Program. ~ The Barangay Integrated -
Development Approach for Nutrition Improvement (BIDANI) is hereby

established as a nutrition-in-development research program involving SUCs


and which aims to assist the national government in improving the nutrition
and general well- being of the poor.

It is a comprehensive model for countryside development programs
which makes nutrition as an entry point, ultimate goal and objective,
indicator and measure of development. It attempts to attack malnutrition
with its root cause, which is linked to poverty, insufficiency of food, social
deprivation and under development.

It is one of the enabling mechanisms in the implementation of the
Philippine Plan of Action for Nutrition (PPAN) and an indispensable growth
strategy of the National Nutrition Council (NNC).

SEC. 5. BIDANI Goals. ~ The BIDANI program shall promote
nutrition-in-development through community and other stakeholders
Participation in an integrated management system facilitated by SUCs. The
program aims to:

a) develop competent SUCs which shall assist in achieving the
nutrition-in-development objectives of the NNC. These SUCs shall
capacitate its core team members to ensure that in-planning
nutrition shall be integrated in all areas/sectors of local
governance. To realize this goal, continuous training of trainers on

the BIDANI strategy and on the different BIDANI innovative


strategies for all BIDANI stakeholders at different levels will be
conducted by the NNC,

bd

ensure the inclusion of best nutrition practices of successful local
government units (LGUs) through the participation of local
nutrition management teams. Partners SUCs through the BIDANI,
shall build the capabilities of the citizenry for self-help and self-
reliance, catalyze action through the involvement of various
stakeholders, complement with the efforts of the government
organizations (GOs), non-government organizations (NGOs),
private organizations (POs) and private sectors and link the
community with existing resources.

SEC. 6. BIDANI Structural/Organizational Linkages. — The
BIDANI partners and stakeholders shall work at different levels, as follows:

a. State Universities and Colleges (SUCs) - Partnership with SUCs
shall be formalized and operationalized through an execution of a
Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) between the University of the
Philippines - Los Baftos represented by its Chancellor, and the
President of the concerned SUCs. Upon approval of the MOA, the

BIDANI program shall be operationalized under the Office of the


Vice President for Research and Extension (OVPRE) of the partner
SUC. A BIDANI SUC will then choose their partners LGUs.

City Municipality Local Government Units — The implementation
of BIDANI as a development strategy in the LGUs will commence
upon the approval of the city or municipal of the nutrition plans
formulated by the SUC concerned through MOA or city/municipal
resolutions. A City/Municipal Organizational Machinery called
C/MTAC, composed of heads and representatives of different
city/municipal line agencies who will be responsible for the
implementation, monitoring, evaluation and replication of the
BIDANI strategy in the locality shall be created

Barangay Units ~ The realization of the BIDANI as a development
strategy shall be accomplished at the barangay level. The Barangay
Development Council (BDC) shall be enhanced through an
expanded BDC membership called Program Planning and
Implementation Committee which shall include representatives
from the Sangguniang Barangay, Barangay Development Council, _
Purok and other community leaders who shall be trained on the
BIDANI strategy to ensure that the processes for planning and

management of development programs, projects and activities will


be participative and responsive to the needs of the members of the

barangay

. Other Stakeholders ~ The participation and inputs of NGOs, other

government agencies and offices, and POs shall be sought to
contribute to the realization of the plans formulated and agreed

upon by the members of the barangay.

SEC. 7. BIDANI Innovative Strategies- To facilitate the local

implementation of the BIDANI, the program shall work on the following

innovative strategies:

a) Barangay Integrated Development Approach for Nutrition

b

Improvement (BIDANI) — Upon approval of this Act, the
Barangay Integrated Development Plan (BIDP) shall include the
barangays’ plans and programs relative to nutrition, which plans
shall be integrated into the municipal development plan.

Barangay Management Information System (BMIS) — In. the
conduct of its research activities, the concerned SUC shall develop
a people-based information system which focuses on the
identification of the needs of the barangay through an efficient and

effective data collection needed for program _ planning,


management and implementation of various projects and activities
at the barangays.

©

Participative Nutrition Enhancement Approach (PNEA) — The
NNC and participating SUCs shall utilize the life cycle approach in
the formulation of food production policies and programs and
promote market-driven livelihood activities among households in
order to prevent malnutrition among pre-school children and
nutritionally-at-risk families.

SEC. 8. Implementing Rules and Regulations. — Within the period
of sixty (60) days, the National Nutrition Council (NNC), in coordination

with the participating state colleges and universities, shall prepare and issue

the necessary rules and regulations for the effe

ve implementation of this
Act.

SEC. 9. Funding. — The amount necessary for the implementation of
the BIDANI network program shall be inchided in the budget of
participating SUCS in the annual General Appropriations Act

Participating SUCs may also get funds, donations and other forms of —
financial support from foreign and local persons, institutions and

governments for the implementation of the BIDANI network program.


SEC. 10. Repealing Clause. — All laws, decrees, executive orders,
rules and regulations, and other issuances, or parts thereof inconsistent with
the provisions of this Act are hereby repealed or modified accordingly

SEC. 11. Effectivity. — This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days
afier its publication in the Official Gazette or in a newspaper of general
circulation.

Approved,