NINETEENTH CONGRESS OF THE 
)
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES 
)
First Regular Session 
)
of tl.w Sr-i cia.j)
23 JAN 30 A10S6
SENATE
Introduced by SENATOR RAMON BONG REVILLA, JR.
AN ACT
PROVIDING FOR A SYSTEM OF REDISTRIBUTING AND RECYCLING FOOD 
WASTE TO PROMOTE FOOD SECURITY
EXPLANATORY NOTE
According to the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) Food Waste 
Index Report 2021, one-third or about 1.3 biilion tons of food produced in the world 
"gets lost or wasted" annually. This global problem of food wastage continues to 
worsen while more people experience starvation globally.
As reported by Action Against Hunger, world hunger is on the rise after a 
decade-long steady decline. It reported that from 2019 to 2022, the prevalence of 
undernourishment among people grew by more than 150 million, which was 
exacerbated by many factors such as the COVID-19 pandemic, geopolitical conflict, 
and climate change.
In the Philippines, the hunger rate has hardly moved. In the recent survey 
released by Social Weather System (SWS) covering the 2nd quarter to 3rd quarter of 
2022, it was revealed that 11.3% or around 2.9 families experienced having nothing 
to eat at least once in the past three months.
Hence, this bill seeks to address both the problems of increasing food wastage 
and hunger. Government agencies led by the National Nutrition Council shall be tasked


to undertake a National Zero Food Waste Campaign to educate the public on the 
repercussions of food wastage and on their role to avoid it. The bill also mandates 
food-related businesses such as food manufacturers, supermarkets, restaurants, 
cafeterias, and hotels to conduct food waste reduction strategies. Further, local 
government units are also required to take effort to address food wastage in the 
country.
In view of the foregoing, the passage of this bill is earnestly sought.
RAMO^KBONG REVILLA, JR.


NINETEENTH CONGRESS OF THE 
)
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES 
)
First Regular Session 
)
SENATE
s. No. 1794
»enm
(©fficr of to? i Plflrj'
23 JAN 30 AI0S6
ILO BY: 7^
RECEIVlOBY:
Introduced by SENATOR RAMON BONG RE VILLA, JR.
AN ACT
PROVIDING FOR A SYSTEM OF REDISTRIBUTING AND RECYCLING FOOD 
WASTE TO PROMOTE FOOD SECURITY
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 "Zero Food Waste Act."
2 
Sec. 2. Declaration of Policy. - The State recognizes that each person has a
3 
right to an adequate standard of living, including sufficient food. It is hereby declared
4 
a policy of the State to safeguard food security, end hunger, and promote the efficient
5 
use of the country's food resources.
6 
Towards this end, the State shall adopt a system to promote, facilitate, and
7 
ensure the reduction of food waste through redistribution and recycling. The massive
8 
amount of food wasted and the considerable number of people going hungry daily is
9 
a breach that this Act intends to correct.
10 
Sec. 3. Definition of Terms. - As used in this Act, the following terms shall
11 
mean:
12 
a. Food insecure - persons or groups who have difficulty producing or
13 
purchasing food to avoid hunger.
14 
b. Edible food waste - food discarded in the retail and consumption stages,
15 
determined to be fit for consumption based on standards set by the National
16 
Nutrition Council.


1 
c. Food waste reduction - the decrease of food waste generation, the
2 
redistribution of food waste to the food insecure, or the recycling of food as
3 
fertilizer or compost.
4 
d. Food-related business - public and private businesses involved in the
5 
manufacturing and processing of food products (i.e. food manufacturers),
6 
private businesses involved in the wholesaling and retailing of food products
7 
(i.e. supermarkets), and private businesses involved in serving food products
8 
(i.e. restaurants, cafeterias, and hotels).
9 
e. Food banks - non-profit, charitable or other social mission-driven
10 
organizations that distribute food to the food insecure.
11 
f. Inedible food waste - food discarded in the retail and consumption stages,
12 
determined to be unfit for consumption based on standards set by the
13 
National Nutrition Council.
14 
g. Waste management and recycling enterprises - organizations that manage
15 
inedible food waste by converting these into fertilizers or compost.
16 
Sec. 4. National Zero Food Waste Campaign. - The National Nutrition Council
17 
(NNC), in close coordination with the Department of Environment and Natural
18 
Resources (DENR), Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD),
19 
Department of Education (DepEd), Department of Trade and Industry (DTI),
20 
Department of Health (DOH), and other concerned agencies and Local Government
21 
Units (LGUs), is hereby tasked to undertake a National Zero Food Waste Campaign,
22 
and the food waste reduction efforts required of food-related businesses and
23 
households through LGUs. The Campaign shall also promote the food waste reduction
24 
hierarchy, and recommend means of reducing individual food waste.
25 
DepEd shall have the duty to ensure that the education curriculum includes
26 
materials on the current global and national food waste situation, on ways to reduce
27 
food waste, on national and local food waste prevention programs, and regarding the
28 
provisions of this Act. DTI shall encourage food-related businesses to purchase lower-
29 
price, non-standard size or shape produce to be used in their food products.
30 
Sec. 5. Food-Related Business Waste Reduction Strategy. - Food-related
31 
businesses such as food manufacturers, supermarkets, restaurants, cafeterias, and
32 
hotels are hereby required to:


1 
a. Submit an initial report to the DSWD and DENR that contains data on the
2 
amount (in tons) of its edible and inedible food waste in the past year,
3 
organized according to the manner of disposal, including donation, composting
4 
or discarding;
5 
b. Submit an annual report to the DSWD and DENR that contains data on the
6 
amount (in tons) of its edible and inedible food waste in the immediately
7 
preceding year organized according to the manner of disposal, including
8 
donation, composting or discarding;
9 
c. Enter into a contract with food banks to redistribute edible food waste to the
10 
food insecure;
11 
d. Shoulder the costs of transporting edible food waste from business location to
12 
the food bank's warehouse or distribution center;
13 
e. Ensure that the edible food waste is unadulterated and in good condition upon
14 
arrival at the food bank's distribution center;
15 
f. Enter into a contract with waste management and recycling enterprises to
16 
recycle inedible food waste into fertilizer or compost;
17 
g. Shoulder the costs of transporting inedible food waste from collection areas to
18 
waste management sites; and
19 
h. Reach and maintain food waste levels at the target set by the DENR.
20 
Sec. 6. National Zero Food Waste Scheme. - DSWD, as the coordinating
21 
agency between the food business and good banks, shall:
22 
a. Provide guidelines and standards for the collection, storage, and distribution of
23 
edible food donated to food banks;
24 
b. Ensure that food businesses have entered into contracts with food banks and
25 
issue acceptance certificated to food businesses;
26 
c. Promote linkages between food banks and LCDs to create a community-based
27 
food distribution system for the food insecure; and
28 
d. Create a Self-Sufficiency Program that will provide the food insecure with skills
29 
training on managing food banks and livelihood programs to avoid the sole
30 
dependence on donation.
31 
Sec. 7. Household and Local Government Unit Waste Reduction Strategy. -
32 
LGUs are hereby required to:


1 
a. Submit an initial report that contains data on the amount (in tons) of inedible
2 
food waste that can be recycled as raw material for fertilizers or compost to the
3 
DENR;
4 
b. Submit an annual report that contains data on the amount (in tons) of inedible
5 
food waste that can be recycled as raw material for fertilizers or compost to the
6 
DENR;
7 
c. Initiate waste segregation efforts per household through local campaigns;
8 
d. Enter into a contract with waste management and recycling enterprises to
9 
recycle inedible food waste from households into fertilizer or compost;
10 
e. Shoulder the costs of transporting inedible food waste from collection areas to
11 
waste management sites; and
12 
f. Reach and maintain inedible food waste levels at the target set by DENR.
13 
Sec. 8. Tax Incentive - Food related businesses that donate edible food to food
14 
banks shall be exempt from donor's tax and the same shall be considered as an
15 
allowable deduction from their gross income, in accordance with the provisions of the
16 
National Internal Revenue Code (NIRC), as amended.
17 
Sec. 9. Pena! Provisions/Penalties. - The penalty of prision correccionalmW be
18 
imposed on any individual, private or public, who deliberately makes food waste unfit
19 
for consumption. The same penalty is applicable to private or public actors who
20 
prevent the redirection of edible food waste to food banks or inedible food waste to
21 
waste management and recycling enterprises.
22 
Sec. 10. Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR). - Within sixty (60) days
23 
from the effectivity of this Act, the NNC, in coordination with the DSWD, DENR, DepEd,
24 
DTI, DOH, and other relevant government agencies, shall promulgate the necessary
25 
rules and regulations for the effective implementation of this Act.
26 
Sec. 11. Periodic Review. -The implementing agencies shall submit an annual
27 
report to Congress on the progress in the implementation of this Act.
28 
Sec. 12. Appropriations. - The funds needed to implement this Act shall be
29 
included in the annual General Appropriations Act.
30 
Sec. 13. Separability Clause. - If any provision of this Act is declared invalid or
31 
unconstitutional, other provisions hereof which are not affected thereby shall remain
32 
in full force and effect.


1 
Sec. 14. Repealing Clause. - All laws, decrees, orders, rules, and regulations or
2 
other issuances or parts Inconsistent with the provisions of this Act are hereby
3 
repealed or modified accordingly.
4 
Sec. 15. Effectivity. - This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its
5 
publication either in the Official Gazette or in any two (2) newspapers of general
6 
circulation in the Philippines.
Approved,