NINETEENTH CONGRESS OF THE 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES 
First Regular Session
)
SENATE
S. No. 500
q( ^ 
■ '■■■”
*22 JUL13 PI :25
: l
Introduced by Senator Loren B. Legarda
AN ACT
PROVIDING EMERGENCY FOOD SUBSIDY TO EVERY POOR 
FILIPINO FAMILY AFFECTED BY THE QUARANTINE PROTOCOLS, 
AND APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREOF
EXPLANATORY NOTE
The Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19), which was declared by the World 
Health Organization (WHO) as a global pandemic on March 11, 2020, brought about 
adverse social, psychological, and economic impacts to the Filipino people, and placed 
the entire Luzon under one of the world's longest lockdowns1 and the whole country 
under a State of Calamity.
Since March 19,2020, Filipinos have been required to observe strict Community 
Quarantine measures, which limited movement to buying necessities and only 
allowed essential businesses to operate. This has greatly affected our poor and 
marginalized communities who are dependent on their daily minimum wage.
While pandemic restrictions have since eased, the uncertainty of the rapidly 
evolving virus, and the possibility of another surge of its variants and the emergence 
of another infectious disease puts our country at high risk for another lockdown.
https://time.com/5945616/covid-philippines-pandemic-lockdown/


This bill thus aims to provide assistance to poor families in the areas most 
affected by quarantine protocols in the form of Five Hundred Pesos (Php 500.00) 
emergency food subsidy per day for thirty (30) days.
In view of the foregoing, the immediate passage of this bill is earnestly sought.


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NINETEENTH CONGRESS OF THE ) 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES 
)
First Regular Session 
)
'oVi - of:;: ;
■22 JUL 13 PI 25
SENATE
s.No. 500
Introduced by Senator Loren B. Legarda
AN ACT
PROVIDING EMERGENCY FOOD SUBSIDY TO EVERY POOR 
FILIPINO FAMILY AFFECTED BY THE QUARANTINE PROTOCOLS, 
AND APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREOF
Be it enacted hy the Senate and House of Representatives of the Republic of the Philippines in 
Congress assembled:
Section. 1. Short Title. - This Act shall be known as the "Emergency Food Subsidy
Act".
Sec. 2. Declaration of Policy. - It is the policy of the State to promote a just and 
dynamic social order that will ensure the prosperity and independence of the nation 
and free the people from poverty through policies that provide adequate social 
services and an improved quality of life for all.
In this light, the State also recognizes the Article 25 of the United Nations 
Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which states that everyone has the right to a 
standard of living adequate for the health and well-being of himself and of his family, 
including food, clothing, housing and medical care, and necessary social services.2
Sec. 3. Scope. - This Act shall apply whenever a region, province, city and/ or 
municipality of the Philippines is placed under lockdown to prevent the spread of 
COVID-19 or any other infectious disease. "Lockdown" refers to any temporary 
measure which imposes stringent limitations on movement and transportation of 
people, strict regulation of operating industries, and provision of food and essential 
services. These include Alert Level 5, Enhanced Community Quarantine, or any
2 https://www.un.org/en/universal-declaration-human-rights/index.html


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equivalent measure defined by the appropriate Inter-Agency Task Force for the
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Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (lATF) Resolution.
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Sec. 4. Emergency Food Subsidy Program. - An Emergency Food Subsidy
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Program shall hereby be established in order to provide food subsidies to areas placed
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under lockdown, including, but not limited to:
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(a) Regions, provinces, cities, and/ or municipalities placed under Alert
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Level 5 or Enhanced Community Quarantine, or its equivalent, by the
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Department of Health (DOH); and
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(b) In the case of granular lockdown as defined by lATF Resolutions, areas
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identified as "critical zones" by local government units (LGUs) within
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their respective jurisdiction, or its equivalent.
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The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), in coordination
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with the LGUs, shall extend emergency food subsidy to the communities.
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Sec. 5. Program Inclusion. - The program will cover all households in areas
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placed under lockdown as defined by Section 3 of this Act. Each household shall be
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entitled to a food subsidy of Five Hundred Pesos (Php 500.00) per day for the duration
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of the lockdown in order to ease the impact of restrictions.
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Households with workers in establishments not allowed to operate under IATF
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Resolutions, shall also be entitled to the benefits of the Emergency Food Subsidy
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Program, regardless of the Alert Level or Community Quarantine Classification, or its
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equivalent: Provided, that each household shall only be entitled to a food subsidy of
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Five Hundred Pesos (Php 500.00) per day for the duration of the Alert Level or
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Community Quarantine Classification, or its equivalent, regardless of the number of
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affected workers per household.
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Sec. 6. Appropriations. - An amount commensurate to the coverage of this Act
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is hereby appropriated as a supplemental budget to be released by the Department of
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Budget and Management (DBM) to the DSWD in accordance with budgeting and
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auditing laws, rules and regulations. The DSWD shall issue necessary guidelines for
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the procurement of the emergency food subsidy.
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Sec. 7. Availability of Appropriations. - The appropriations authorized in this Act
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shall be available for release and obligation for the purpose from the date of the


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effectivity of this Act until the last day of the utilization of the emergency food
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subsidy.
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Sec. 8. Separability Clause. - If for any reason or reasons, any part or provision
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of this Act shall be declared as unconstitutional or invalid, the other parts of
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provisions hereof which are not affected thereby shall continue to be in full force and
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effect.
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Sec. 9. Effectivity Clause. - This Act shall take effect immediately upon its
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complete publication either in the Official Gazette or in at least two (2) newspapers of
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general circulation.
Approved,