Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City

REGEN

OATE:

TIME,

EIGHTEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

5907

HOUSE BILL NO.

Introduced by HONORABLE STELLA LUZ A. QUIMBO

AN ACT EXTENDING THE NATIONAL FEEDING PROGRAM TO
UNDERNOURISHED CHILDREN IN SECONDARY SCHOOLS THEREBY
AMENDING REPUBLIC ACT 11037, OTHERWISE KNOWN AS THE “ACT
INSTITUTIONALIZING A NATIONAL FEEDING PROGRAM FOR
UNDERNOURISHED CHILDREN IN PUBLIC DAY CARE, KINDERGARTEN
AND ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS TO COMBAT HUNGER AND
UNDERNUTRITION AMONG FILIPINO CHILDREN AND APPROPRIATING
FUNDS THEREFOR”

EXPLANATORY NOTE

In 2018, President Rodrigo Roa Duterte signed Republic Act No. 11037,
more popularly known as the “Masustansyang Pagkain para sa Batang
Pilipino Act.” The Act institutionalized, among others, the supplementary
feeding program in the Philippines which has always aimed to develop the
Filipino’s human capital. The potential for learning is diminished if children
suffer from hunger and extreme poverty.! In the Philippines, students cease
from attending school because they lack adequate food supply to sustain their
energy needed to learn. The Department of Science and Technology has also
been conducting supplementary feeding programs in the country to improve
the nutritional status of undernourished individuals by increasing their
consumptions of micronutrients.?

In June 2019, the school principal of Victorino Mapa High School, one
of the oldest high schools in the nation’s capital, noted that among the
persistent problems that schools face is children’s hunger.? It is almost

* Del Rosso, Joy Miller. School feeding programs: Improving effectiveness and increasing the benefit of education.

University of Oxford, 1999.

2 Supplementary Feeding with Education: Effective Against Malnutrition." Department of Science and Technology —

CALABARZON Region 04 February 2019. (Previously accessed at: htp://regionda dost gov ph/12-updates/702-
supplementary-feeding,-with-education-effective-against-malnutrition)

$Viamando-Malipot, Merling, “Same oid probicms to welcome 27-2 milion learner to schoo this year" Mania

ee a meres 2010/00 08pm A ern 7

‘weleome-27-2-million-learners-to-school-this-year/)


absurd to expect students to focus on their studies when their stomachs are
grumbling.

Worse, in some cases, Filipino adolescents engage in child labor just so
they may have something to eat while in school. For instance, Jojo, an eighth
grade student in Taguig City, works as a garbage collector and his earnings
from which become his pocket money for school.*

‘The passage of Republic Act No. 11037 is laudable and this proposed
legislation wishes to improve the measure further. The Act covers day care to
public elementary students because 24.5% of school children (ages 6 to 10)
are stunted while 7.6% of them are wasted. However, in the case of adolescent
children, 26.3% of them are stunted while 11.3% are wasted.5 The nutritional
status of high school students is every bit as alarming as that of elementary
school children. Thus, they should likewise be considered as beneficiaries of
the supplementary feeding program.

Further, Republic Act No. 11037 must also be amended to include even
younger children than those attending grade school, since nutrition needs at
the formative years are crucial to ensuring avoiding incidences of stunted or

wasted growth.

‘As such, there is a pressing and immediate need to broaden the
coverage of Republic Act No. 11037 to include high school students, as well
as kindergarten students. Our children and all future generations will reap a
prosperous, stable, and peaceful society if we invest on their health and
education today. We must institutionalize prioritizing their access to quality
schooling and nutrition.

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

7, ae

Representative
Second District, Marikina City

‘Badia, Nelson. “Child labor: a problem ignored." The Mania Times, 03 October 2015 (Previously

hups://ew maniatines net/2018/10/03/news/top stories child labor s-probemignored/221982/)

2018 Expanded National Nutritional Survey. Department of Science and Technology, 28 August 2019 (Previously
accessed at: http://endo-society.org,ph/2018-enns-survey-results/)


Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City

EIGHTEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Session
HOUSE BILL No. 9997

Introduced by HONORABLE STELLA LUZ A. QUIMBO

AN ACT EXTENDING THE NATIONAL FEEDING PROGRAM TO
UNDERNOURISHED CHILDREN IN SECONDARY SCHOOLS THEREBY
AMENDING REPUBLIC ACT 11037, OTHERWISE KNOWN AS THE “ACT
INSTITUTIONALIZING A NATIONAL FEEDING PROGRAM FOR
UNDERNOURISHED CHILDREN IN PUBLIC DAY CARE, KINDERGARTEN
AND ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS TO COMBAT HUNGER AND
UNDERNUTRITION AMONG FILIPINO CHILDREN AND APPROPRIATING
FUNDS THEREFOR”

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

SECTION 1. Section 4 (b) of Republic Act 11307 otherwise known as the
“ACT INSTITUTIONALIZING A NATIONAL FEEDING PROGRAM FOR
UNDERNOURISHED CHILDREN IN PUBLIC DAY CARE, KINDERGARTEN
AND ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS TO COMBAT HUNGER AND
UNDERNUTRITION AMONG FILIPINO CHILDREN AND APPROPRIATING

FUNDS THEREFOR’ is hereby amended to read as follows:

SECTION. 4 (b). School-Based Feeding Program. ~ The DepEd shall
implement a school-based feeding program for undernourished public
school children from kindergarten to grade {six{6}} TWELVE (12):

Provided, That the Program shall include the provision of at least one


(1) fortified meal to all undernourished public KINDERGARTEN,
elementary, AND SECONDARY school children for a period of not less

than one hundred twenty (120) days in a year;

SECTION 2. Implementing Rules and Regulations. - Within ninety (90) days
from the effectivity of this Act, the Department of Education, in consultation
with the National Nutrition Council, the Food and Nutrition Research
Institute, the Department of Health, the Department of Agriculture, the
Department of Interior and Local Government, and concerned LGUs, and
such other relevant government agencies, nongovernment organizations, and
development partners shall promulgate their respective rules and regulations

for the efficient and effective implementation of this Act.

SECTION 3. Separability Clause. - Should any provision of this Act or any
part hereof be declared unconstitutional, the other provisions or parts not

affected thereby shall remain valid and effective.

SECTION 4. Repeating Clause. ~ All laws, presidential decrees, executive
orders, resolutions, rules and regulations or parts thereof which are
inconsistent with the provisions of this Act are hereby repealed, amended or

modified accordingly.

SECTION 5. Effectivity Clause. - This Act shall take effect after fifteen (15)
days following its publication in the Official Gazette or in two (2) newspapers

of general circulation.


Approved,