Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City

EIGHTEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Session
2189
HOUSE BILL NO.

Introduced by Rep. Precious Hipolito Castelo

EXPLANATORY NOTE

This bill seeks to stem cases of food insecurity in the country by mandating all food establishments and
other similar businesses to donate to charitable institutions any and all unsold food. The 1996 World
Food Summit defined food security as the state “when all people, at all times, have physical and
economic access to sufficient, safe, and nutritious food that meets their dietary needs and food
Preferences for an active and healthy life.”

The Food and Nutrition Research Institute of the Department of Science and Technology (FNRI-DOST)
calls hunger a severe form of food insecurity. Prolonged hunger may lead to malnutrition, illness, mental
and physical growth retardation, among many other complications,

More than a quarter of Filipino adults (36%) claimed to be food insecure, while 23% of Filipino children
were found to be the same the National Nutrition Survey (NS) conducted in 2011

“The ability to acquire acceptable foods in socially acceptable ways” contributes to food security, FNRI-
DOST declared,

Mandating food establishments to donate to charitable institutions unsold food can be an effective means
in addressing food insecurity

In the country, over 2.6 million families experienced hunger at least once, according to a survey
conducted by the Social Weather Stations in the last quarter of 2015.

Data from the Food and Nutrition Research Institute of the Department of Science and Technology show
that every Filipino wastes an average of 3.29 kg of rice per year. This translates to around 296,869 metric
tons of rice, which is equivalent to 12.2 percent of the country's annual rice importation worth P7.3 bilion.

There should not be a case where any food establishment would throw away food that is stil fit for
consumption any given day when there are many household tables waiting for it

‘Making it @ public policy to establish and maintain an efficient food regulatory system that will address the
hunger issue of Filipinos living below the poverty threshold would hence be of paramount importance

‘The passage of this bill is earnestly sought.



Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City

EIGHTEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

HOUSE BILL No.2289

Introduced by Rep. Precious Hipolito Castelo

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

SECTION 1. Title. This Act shall be known as the “Unsold Food Donation Act.”

SEC. 2. Declaration of Policy. The State shall ensure the food security of every Filipino
family by mandating food establishments and other similar businesses to donate unsold food to

SEC. 3. Implementation of this Act. The donation of unsold fobd by food establishments
and other similar businesses to charity shall be undertaken by the Department of Social Welfare
and Development (DSWD).

SEC. 4. Penalties. Any food establishment found to be guilty of non-compliance shall be
meted out a penalty of imprisonment for a minimum of six (6) months to one (1) year and/or a
fine of Five Hundred Thousand Pesos (Php500,000 00);

SEC. 5. Repeat Offenders — In the event a food establishment or other similar business
's found guilty of violating this Act for two (2) or more times committed within a period of five (5)
Years, the same shall be a ground for the permanent revocation of their license to operate.

SEC. 6. Separability Clause — If any part, section or Provision of this Act shall be held
invalid or unconstitutional, the other provisions not affected by such declaration shall remain in
full force and effect.

SEC. 7. Repealing Clause - All laws, acts, decrees, executive orders, rules and
regulations or other issuances or parts thereof, which are inconsistent with this Act, are hereby
modified and repealed.

SEC. 8. Effectivty - This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days following its publication in
{he Official Gazette or in at least two (2) newspapers of general cirevlation

Approved,