Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City

SIXTEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

HOUSE BILL NO. 364

Introduced by: REP. RAUL V. DEL MAR

EXPLANATORY NOTE

This bill seeks to institutionalize the free breakfast program of the Department
of Education (DepEd) for day care center, preschool and elementary school children
in all public schools in the country. The free breakfast program shall consist of
fortified instant noodles or iron-fortified rice or fortified biscuits or any other fortified

malnutrition, it shall be implemented in all public schools throughout the whole
country since almost all school children enrolled therein come from poor families and

The Department of Education (DepEd) and the Department of Social Welfare
and Development (DSWD) implemented an immediate intervention to addrese
hunger among families through their children enrolled in DepEd supervised public
day care centers, preschools and elementary schools in the form of food subsidy for
young leamers who belong to poor families. A daily ration of one (1) kilo of rice te
given fo that family of a child for a specific period of time as long as the child goes to
School or to the day care center every day.

{n terms of mainutrition, the Philippine government is committed to the global
call to eradicate malnutrition as stated in the World Declaration on Nutrition and
Global Plan of Action for Nutrition adopted during the International Conference on
Nutrition (ICN) in Rome, Italy on December 1992. This commitment ic
Cuerationalized with the birth of the Philippine Plan of Action for Nutrition (PPAN)
within the context of current development efforts enunciated in the Medium-Tenn
Philippine Development Plan.


PPAN serve as the springboard or the country’s plan for the Philippine
government's goal to decrease the prevalence of malnutrition in the country. It
integrates the efforts of the national government, local government units (LGU’s),
nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) including community-based NGOs, the
business sector, and the international community in assisting target beneficiaries

PPAN aims to achieve nutrition for all Filipinos and will contribute to the
achievement of the Millennium Development Goals on eradicating extreme poverty
and hunger.

There is therefore an urgent need to fine-tune these program of the DepEd
and enhance the same by providing a free breakfast program not only to day care
centers, preschools but also all public elementary schools in the country.

Hence, approval of the above-mentioned bill is earnestly sought.

I

wale V. DEL MAR


Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City

SIXTEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

HOUSE BILL NO. 364

Introduced by: REP. RAUL V. DEL MAR

AN ACT
PROVIDING FOR A FREE BREAKFAST PROGRAM FOR PUBLIC SCHOOL
CHILDREN IN DAY CARE CENTERS, PRESCHOOLS AND ELEMENTARY
SCHOOLS IN THE COUNTRY AND APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREFOR

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

SECTION 1. Declaration of Policy. - It is the declared policy of the State to
Promote quality education at all levels of the educational system and to promote the
physical, moral spiritual and intellectual and social well-being of the youth. Towards
this end, the Government shall endeavor to provide the conditions, to enhance the
learning process in public day care centers, preschools and elementary schools to
attain the highest academic performance level.

SEC. 2. Free Breakfast Program for Day Care, Pre-school and
Elementary Pupils. - To improve the academic performance of school children in
Public day care centers, preschools and elementary schools a free breakfast
Program shall be made part of public education system. This free breakfast program
shall be designed by the Department of Education (DepEd) upon consultation, as far
as practicable with Parents-Teacher Association


SEC. 3. Integration of Free Breakfast Program. ~ To achieve the declared
policy of the government, a Free Breakfast Program shall be included as a
mandatory and integral part of the activities of all public day care centers, preschools
and elementary schools.

SEC. 4. Funding. - The amount needed to implement the provisions of this
act shall be charged against the allocation of the Department of Education under the
current General Appropriations Act. Thereafter, the amount necessary to carry out
and maintain a free breakfast program in the public day care centers, preschools and
elementary schools shall be included in the annual General Appropriations Act of the
year following its enactment into law and thereafter.

SEC. 5. Implementing Rules and Regulations. — Within sixty (60) days from
the effectivity of this Act, the Department of Education shall promulgate the
necessary rules and regulations for the implementation of this Act.

SEC. 6. Repealing Clause. — All laws, decrees and orders or parts thereof
which are contrary to or inconsistent with this Act are hereby repealed, amended or

modified accordingly.

SEC. 7. Effectivity. - This act shall take effect fifteen (15) days following its
publication in two (2) newspapers of general circulation

Approved,