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NINETEENTH CONGRESS OF THE ) RECEIVED
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES )
First Regular Session ) = ODATE _Mareh 6, 2023 _
* TIME 1:46 pm
S sy Bai
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES G

SG
Wo inpek

House Bill No. 7427 Ss

Introduced by REPRESENTATIVES LANI MERCADO-REVILLA, BRYAN B.
REVILLA AND RAMON JOLO REVILLA Ii

AN ACT
EXPANDING THE NATIONAL FEEDING PROGRAM TO _ INCLUDE
UNDERNOURISHED CHILDREN IN SECONDARY SCHOOLS AND MANDATING
THE PROCUREMENT FROM SMALL-SCALE FARMERS IN THE
IMPLEMENTATION OF THE NATIONAL FEEDING PROGRAM, AMENDING FOR
THE PURPOSE REPUBLIC ACT NO. 11037, OTHERWISE KNOWN AS THE
“MASUSTANSYANG PAGKAIN PARA SA BATANG PILIPINO ACT”

EXPLANATORY NOTE

The Philippines has an obligation to protect and promote the right to nutrition
and adequate food under relevant domestic and international laws: 1987 Philippine
Constitution} Universal Declaration of Human Rights; International Covenant on
Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights; Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of
Discrimination Against Women; Convention on the Rights of the Child, as well as the
United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

In connection with this, the Philippine government has committed to AmBisyon
Natin 2040, which promises a strongly rooted, comfortable, and secure life for every
Filipino, where “no one is poor, no one is ever hungry.” President Rodrigo Roa Duterte
has, in fact, signed Republic Act (RA) No. 11037, otherwise known as “Masustansyang
Pagkain para sa Batang Pilipino Act,” targeting undemourished children in public day
care, kindergarten and elementary schools.

Hunger has a correlation to the ability of students to learn. Research
demonstrates that children from families who are unsure where their next meal would
come from can adversely affect students’ performance by lowering their effort and


classroom attention, and that provision of meals improved the cognitive performance
of students by 13% to 16%."

Due to unavailability of food, children are forced to drop out of school. It is
unfortunate that children from poor families stop going to school because the higher
the education level, the steeper is the cost of schooling.? However, school feeding
programs may incentivize parents to keep children in school. Families may be better
Positioned to handle financial challenges with their children being fed at school.

Like other public school children, secondary students are affected by
unavailability of food which poses as a hindrance to their learning. It is hoped that by
expanding RA No. 11037 to include junior and senior high school students, more
children will be encouraged to enroll and stay in school.

Likewise, small-scale farmers can benefit from these feeding programs, since
it is intended that at least 30% of the produce necessary for making the meals of
children be procured from these farmers. This livelihood opportunity will be
advantageous to our farmers who are struggling to make “less than P200 a day."

The authors request the urgent and immediate approval of this bill.

REP. MERCADO-REVILLA key fee B. REVILLA

Representative Representative
2 District of Cavite AGIMAT Partylist

REP. RAMON[IOLO REVILLA II
Representative
1® District of Cavite

* Afridi, F., Barooah, B., & Somanathan, R. (n.d.). Discussion Paper Series: Hunger and Performance in the
Classroom. IZA Institute of Labor Economics, (12627). Retrieved February 16, 2023, from
hitps:/irepec.iza.orgidp12627 pat.

2 United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA). (2018). Child Poverty in the
Philippines. Retrieved February 16, 2023, from
|htps:/ivwnw.unicef.ora/philippinesimedia/461file/Child%20Poverty%420in%201he%20Philippines. pat

3 Tembon, A. C., & Schultz, L.B. (2015, October 16). Schoo! feeding: A foo! for social inclusion. Retrieved
February 16, 2023, from https //blogs. worldbank.org/education/school-feeding-too)-social-
Inclusion#:~:text=Many%420school
‘age%20children*420across%Z0the%20globe%20depend’h200n a%20long%s20history%20as%20a%20s0
cial%20protection%20to01.

“ Kaligbak, T. (2019, September 17). Opinion: The plight of Filipino rice farmers. PhilStar Global. Retrieved
February 16, 2023, from https://www.philstar.com/opinion/2019/09/17/1952474/plight-flipino-rice-farmers



NINETEENTH CONGRESS OF THE )

REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES )
First Regular Session )
HOUSE OF REPRESRNATIVES

HOUSE BILL NO. 7427

Introduced by REPRESENTATIVE LANI MERCADO-REVILLA, BRYAN B.
REVILLA AND RAMON JOLO REVILLA II!

ANACT
EXPANDING THE NATIONAL FEEDING PROGRAM TO INCLUDE
UNDERNOURISHED CHILDREN IN SECONDARY SCHOOLS AND MANDATING
THE PROCUREMENT FROM SMALL-SCALE FARMERS IN THE
IMPLEMENTATION OF THE NATIONAL FEEDING PROGRAM, AMENDING FOR
THE PURPOSE REPUBLIC ACT NO. 11037, OTHERWISE KNOWN AS THE
“MASUSTANSYANG PAGKAIN PARA SA BATANG PILIPINO ACT”

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

SECTION 1. Section 4 of Republic Act No. 11037, otherwise known as
“Masustansyang Pagkain Para sa Batang Pilipino Act’ is hereby amended to read, as
follows:

SEC. 4. National Feeding Program. - The National Feeding Program,
hereinafter referred to as the Program, is hereby established to address
undemutrition among Filipino children. The Program shall have the
following components and coverage:

XK

(b) School-Based Feeding Program. ~ The DepEd shall implement
a school-based feeding program for undernourished public school children
from kindergarten to grade {six-46}} TWELVE (12): Provided, That the
Program shall include the provision of at last one (1) forted mesl to al

° public-e ° s} PUBLIC SCHOOL



a

CHILDREN MENTIONED EARLIER, for a period of not less than one
hundred twenty (120) days in a year;

20x

(f) PROCUREMENT FROM SMALL-SCALE FARMERS. ~ AT
LEAST THIRTY PERCENT (30%) OF THE PRODUCE NECESSARY TO
IMPLEMENT THE NATIONAL FEEDING PROGRAM SHALL BE
PROCURED FROM SMALL-SCALE FARMERS TO BE IDENTIFIED
THROUGH A REGISTRY PREPARED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF
AGRICULTURE;

149 (@) Gulayan sa Paaralan. — x

He}} (h) Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH). — xxx

[(h)] (i) Integrated Nutrition Education, Behavioral Transformation,
and Social Mobilization. — xxx

SECTION 2. Section 5(a) of the same Act is hereby amended to read, as

follows:

SEC. 5. Prioritization in the Program Implementation. - The NGAs shall
create a five (5)-year plan to fully implement the Program: Provided, That
the NGAs concerned shall prioritize the implementation of the Program in
the LGUs and public day care or felementary] schools that meet any of the
following criteria:

(a) With the highest prevalence of undernutrition and nutrient-
deficiency among children aged three (3) years up to grade [six (6)]
TWELVE (12) level;

Deed

SEC. 3. Appropriations. - The amount necessary for the implementation of this

Act shall be included in the RESPECTIVE budgets of the Department of Education
AND DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL WELFARE AND DEVELOPMENT in the annual
General Appropriations Act.

SEC. 4. Implementing Rules and Regulations. - Within ninety (90) days from

the effectivity of this Act, the Department of Education AND DEPARTMENT OF
SOCIAL WELFARE AND DEVELOPMENT shall, in consultation with the National
Nutrition Council, the Food and Nutrition Research Institute, the COUNCIL FOR THE
WELFARE OF CHILDREN, the Department of Health, the Department of Agriculture,

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the Department of Interior and Local Government, and concerned LGUs, and such
other relevant government agencies, nongovernment organizations, and development
partners, promulgate the rules and regulations for the effective implementation of this
Act.

SEC. 5. Separability Clause. — If any provision or part hereof is held invalid or
unconstitutional, the remainder of this Act or the provision or part not otherwise
affected shall remain valid and subsisting.

SEC. 6. Repealing Clause. - All other laws, decrees, orders, other issuances,
rules and regulations, or parts thereof inconsistent with the provisions of this Act are
hereby repealed, modified, or amended accordingly.

SEC. 7. Effectivity. — This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its
Publication in the Official Gazette or in at least two (2) newspapers of general
circulation.

Approved,