NINETEENTH CONGRESS OF THE) 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES ) 
First Regular Session 
)
SENATE
s. No. 1231
S-nnu-.u
of 1!?? i&ra'eMrp
•22 AUG 30 A 9 :27
RtCEIVCO BY
Introduced by Senator Manuel "Lito" M. Lapid
AN ACT
TO PROMOTE AND PROTECT THE HEALTH OF SCHOOL CHILDREN IN 
PUBLIC ELEMENTARY AND SECONDARY SCHOOLS AND LEARNING
CENTERS
EXPLANATORY NOTE
In 2014, the UNICEF Philippines reported that 95 Filipino children die from 
mainutrition every day. In 2021, the World Bank stated that there had been no 
improvements in the prevalence of malnutrition in the Philippines for the past thirty 
years. Further, the Philippines ranked fifth among countries in the East Asia and Pacific 
region with the highest prevalence of stunting. Such health problems prevent the 
Filipino children of their chance to succeed and have a good and productive future.
With this, the World Health Organization promotes the prohibition against junk 
food and other unhealthy food in schools to promote healthier diets for children. Such 
prohibition in and near schools would minimize, if not totally eliminate, the incidence 
of malnutrition, child obesity and other health problems. As emphasized by the World 
Bank, good nutrition is a foundation for economic prosperity. Thus, investment on 
such is highly cost-effective. In 2013, it was found that every dollar invested in 
nutrition has the potential of yielding a $44 return.
Healthy eating plays an important role in learning and cognitive development. 
Studies show that children who do not get adequate nutrients experience more 
difficulty in learning from school leading to lower academic test scores, or worse, tend


to drop out of school. Ensuring the availability of food that are high in nutritional 
content will not only promote better health but also better learning.
This program not only seeks to improve the health and well-being of our 
students, it also seeks to develop healthy habits that will serve them well into their 
adult lives.
Thus, this bill seeks to establish a Healthy Food and Beverage Program to be 
implemented in all public elementary and secondary schools and learning institutions. 
This is to promote healthy diet and positive eating behaviors and provide healthy 
eating environments to learners, teaching and non-teaching personnel in these 
educational institutions. Further, this bill aims to prohibit the sale, distribution, and 
promotion of junk food and sugary drinks inside and 100 meters from the perimeter 
of these educational institutions.
In view of this, early passage of this bill is sought.
0"M. LAPID.
Senator 
/


NINETEENTH CONGRESS OF THE) 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES ) 
First Regular Session 
)
SENATE
s. No. 1231
of tiu’
•22 AUG 30 A 9 *27
RECEIVED BY.
Introduced by Senator Manuel "Lito" M. Lapid
1 
AN ACT
2 
TO PROMOTE AND PROTECT THE HEALTH OF SCHOOL CHILDREN IN
3 
PUBLIC ELEMENTARY AND SECONDARY SCHOOLS AND LEARNING
4 
CENTERS
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in 
Congress assembled:
5 
Section 1. Short Title. - This Act shall be known as the Healthy Food and
6 
Beverage in Public Schools Act"
1 
Section 2. Declaration of Policy. - The State shall ensure the promotion and
8 
protection of the health and well-being of its people. The youth as a valuable asset
9 
for the future of any nation must be provided with the necessary environment where
10 
they can develop and harness their full potential. Towards this end, measures that
11 
contribute to the achievement of this goal must be pursued.
12 
Section 3. Healthy Food and Beverage Choices Program. - There is hereby
13 
established a Healthy Food and Beverage Program, hereinafter referred to as the
14 
Program, which shall be implemented in all public elementary and secondary schools
15 
and learning institutions. It shall establish the guidelines to promote healthy diet and
16 
positive eating behaviors and provide healthy eating environments to learners,
17 
teaching and non-teaching personnel in these educational institutions. The Program
18 
shall have the following objectives:
19 
a. Make available healthier food and beverage choices;


1 
b. Introduce a system of categorizing locally available food and drinks in
2 
accordance with geographical, cultural, and religious orientations;
3 
c. Provide guidance in evaluating and categorizing food and drinks; and
4 
d. Provide guidance in the selling and marketing of food and beverages,
5 
including the purchasing of food for school feeding.
6 
Section 4. Prohibition of Junk Food and Sugary Drinks. - The sale, distribution,
7 
and promotion of junk food and sugary drinks inside the premises and within one
8 
hundred (100) meters from the perimeter of public and private elementary and high
9 
schools is hereby prohibited.
10 
Section 5. Definition of Terms. - As used in this Act:
11 
a. Heaithy dietto balance in food intake which:
12 
i. 
Achieves energy balance and a healthy weight;
13 
ii. 
Limits energy intake from total fats and shifts fat consumption away
14 
from saturated fats to unsaturated fats and towards the elimination
15 
of trans-fatty acids;
16 
iii. 
Increases consumption of fruits and vegetables, legumes, whole
17 
grains and nuts;
18 
iv. 
Limits the intake of free sugars; and
19 
V. 
Limits salt consumption from all sources.
20 
b. Junk foodxefexs to food that contains any of the following:
21 
i. 
Saturated fat of more than five (5) grams or more than one (1)
22 
teaspoon per serving;
23 
ii. 
Trans fat;
24 
iii. 
Sugar or total carbohydrate of more than twenty (20) grams or more
25 
than four (4) teaspoons per serving; or
26 
iv. 
Sodium of more than two hundred (200) milligram or 1/10 teaspoon
27 
salt per serving.


1 
The Department of Health (DOH) shall, as often as necessary, conduct a review
2 
of the thresholds provided herein and adjust the same if necessary to attain
3 
the objectives of this Act.
4 
c. Sugary drink refers to any liquid substance made for drinking that is carbon-
5 
based or with carbon dioxide gas and categorized as soft drinks or sugar-
6 
based synthetic or artificially flavored juices.
7 
Section 6. Penalty. - The owner or operator of any canteen, eatery, restaurant,
8 
or store that sells junk food and sugary drinks inside the premises and within one
9 
hundred (100) meters from the perimeter of any public or private elementary or high
10 
school in violation of this Act shall be punished by a fine of not less than Twenty-five
11 
thousand pesos (Php 25,000.00) but not more than One hundred thousand pesos (Php
12 
100,000.00), or by imprisonment of not less than six (6) months but not more than
13 
one (1) year, or both, at the discretion of the court.
14 
Provided, That in case the owner or operator is a partnership, association,
15 
corporation, or any other juridical person, the penalty shall be imposed on the
16 
president or treasurer of the canteen, eatery, restaurant, or store. In addition, the
17 
license to operate of the canteen, eatery, restaurant, or store shall be suspended for
18 
six (6) months.
19 
Section 7. Implementing Rules and Regulations. - The Secretary of Education
20 
and the Secretary of Health shall jointly issue the rules and regulations necessary for
21 
the effective implementation of this Act within sixty (60) days upon its effectivity.
22 
Section 8. Separability Clause. - If any provision or part of this Act, or the
23 
application thereof to any person or circumstance, is held unconstitutional or invalid,
24 
the remainder of this Act shall not be affected thereby.
25 
Section 9. Repealing Clause. — All laws, presidential decrees, executive orders,
26 
proclamations, rules and regulations, or any part thereof, which are inconsistent with
27 
the provisions of this Act are hereby repealed or modified accordingly.


1 
Section 10. Effectivity Clause. — This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days
2 
from its publication in the Official Gazette or in a newspaper of general circulation.
Approved,