REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
Quezon City 
TWENTIETH CONGRESS 
First Regular Session 
HOUSE BILL NO. 1313 
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Introduced by Representative MARLYN L. PRIMICIAS-AGABAS 
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EXPLANATORY NOTE 
This bill seeks to reduce food waste through food donations and food 
waste recycling in the country. This bill has already been approved by the 
House of Representatives on its 3rd and final reading in the 18th Congress. 
It is, however, necessary that this bill be filed due to its importance in 
strengthening food security and in lowering the incidence of “involuntary 
hunger” in the country. 
The State values the dignity of every human person and guarantees 
full respect for human rights (Section 11, Article II, 1987 Constitution). 
The State shall also foster food production and food security. 
Food waste refers to food that is good quality and fit for consumption, 
but does not get consumed because it is discarded – either before or after 
it is left to spoil. The prevalence of food waste is alarming vis-a-vis the high 
rate of involuntary hunger in the country.  
In the Social Weather Survey conducted on the First Quarter of 2019 
(March 28-31, 2019), it was found out “that 9.5% or an estimated 2.3 
million families experienced involuntary hunger at least once in the past 
three months. The measure of Hunger refers to involuntary suffering since 
the survey question specifies that the hunger experienced was due to lack 
of food to eat. The Hunger rate in March 2019 is one percentage point 
lower than the 10.5% (est. 2.4 million families) in December 2018.” The 
data on the estimated 2.3 million families suffering involuntary hunger is 
very disturbing. Alongside the effort of the Department of Agriculture to 
advance food security in conjunction with other allied agencies, there is a 
need to take up a parallel legislative measure that would reduce, if not 
totally eradicate, food waste in the country. 
July 7. 2025
8:00 am


Through this legislative measure, food donations and food waste 
(recycled) will be certified as fit for consumption and will be donated to 
food banks which will distribute them to persons who have no means 
and/or have difficulty producing or purchasing foods in coordination with 
the Department of Social Welfare and Development and Local Government 
Units. 
Approval of this bill is earnestly sought. 
MARLYN L. PRIMICIAS-AGABAS 


Republic of the Philippines 
HOUSE OF THE REPRESENTATIVE 
Quezon City 
TWENTIETH CONGRESS 
First Regular Session 
HOUSE BILL NO. 1313
Introduced by Representative MARLYN L. PRIMICIAS-AGABAS 
AN ACT 
REDUCING FOOD WASTE THROUGH FOOD DONATIONS AND FOOD 
WASTE RECYCLING 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
Philippines 
in Congress assembled: 
SECTION 1. Short Title. – This act shall be known as the “Food 
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Waste Reduction Act”. 
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SEC. 2. Declaration of Policy. – The state recognizes that each person 
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has a right to an adequate standard of living, including sufficient, 
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safe and nutritious food. It is hereby declared a policy of the State to 
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attain food security, end hunger, and promote the efficient use of the 
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country’s food resources. The considerable number of people going   
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hungry daily is a breach of a human right that this Act intends to 
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correct and the massive amount of food waste produced presents an 
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opportunity for the State to address hunger and its efforts on the 
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quality of life of the underprivileged. 
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Towards this end, The State shall adopt a system to promote, 
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facilities and ensure the reduction of food waste through 
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redistribution and recycling. The State shall likewise implement 
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measures to make it mandatory to donate edible food surplus for 
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charitable purposes.  
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SEC. 3. Definition of Terms. – As used in this Act: 
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(a) Edible food surplus refers to excess food or surplus food in
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the retail and consumption stages, determined to be fit for
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consumption based on standards set by the National Nutrition
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Council (NNC) and Food and Drug Administration(FDA);
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(b) Food insecure refers to persons or groups of persons who 
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have no means and/or have difficulty producing or purchasing 
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food; 
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(c) Food surplus reduction refers to the decrease in food surplus 
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generation, the redistribution of food surplus to the food 
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insecure or the recycling of food as fertilizer or compost; 
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(d) Food-related business refers to public and private 
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businesses as involved in the manufacturing and processing 
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of food products, private business involved in the wholesaling 
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and retailing of food products, private business involved in 
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serving food products, and private institutions offering courses 
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in the art and science of preparation, cooking and presentation 
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of food; 
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(e) Food banks refer to non-profit, charitable or other social 
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mission-oriented organizations that distribute food to the food 
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insecure; and 
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(f) Inedible food surplus refers to food discarded in the retail 
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and consumption stages, determined to be unfit for 
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consumption based on the standards set by the NNC and FDA, 
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including but not limited to prepackaged food products that 
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have gone beyond their declared expiry dates. 
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SEC. 4. Covered Establishments. – The establishments covered by 
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this Act are as follows: 
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(a) Food manufacturer, notwithstanding any restriction 
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imposed by any existing law and regulation on food 
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manufacturers:  
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Provided, 
That 
any 
donation 
made 
by 
such 
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manufacturers under the provisions of this Act shall constitute 
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an exception to the applicability of restrictions under existing 
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laws and regulations; 
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(b) Food establishments (restaurants, cafes, diners, fast food 
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chains or hotels); 
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(c) Supermarkets with at least five hundred (500) square 
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meters of selling space; and 
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(d) Culinary schools which offer culinary, baking and pastry 
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courses with at least fifty (50) students. 
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SEC. 5. Determination of Food Insecures. – The criteria for the 
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determination of food insecures will be made by the Department of 
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Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), in coordination with the 
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local government units (LGU’s). 
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SEC. 6. National Food Surplus Campaign. – The NNC, in close 
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coordination with the DSWD, Department of the Interior and Local 
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Government (DILG), Department of Environment and Natural 
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Recourses (DENR), Department of Education (DepEd), Department 
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of Trade and Industry (DTI), Department of Health (DOH), 
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Department of Science and Technology (DOST), Department of 
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Agriculture (DA), FDA, other concerned agencies and LGU’s, shall 
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undertake a National Food Surplus Campaign to raise awareness on 
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the impact of food surplus and strategies to decrease wasted food 
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starting at the household level. The campaign shall also promote the 
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food surplus reduction hierarchy and recommend means of reducing 
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individual food waste. 
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To educate the younger generation, the DepEd shall have the 
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duty to ensure that the prescribed curriculum includes informative 
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materials on the following: 
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(a) Current global and national food waste situation; 
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(b) Ways to minimize food surplus; 
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(c) National and food surplus prevention programs; 
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(d) Food recovery; and 
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(e) Pertinent provision of this Act. 
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SEC. 7. Edible Food Surplus Distribution Steps. – The following steps 
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shall be followed in edible food surplus distribution: 
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(a) The owners of the covered establishments will segregate 
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their edible and inedible food surplus; 
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b) To facilitate distribution, food manufacturers may opt to 
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perform the segregation of their products at the supermarket 
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that sell their products; 
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(c) Before a donation is made, a duly accredited health 
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inspector of the LGU will check if the edible food surplus is fit 
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for consumption based on the standards set by the NNC and 
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FDA; 
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(d) Upon certifying that the edible food surplus is fit for 
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consumption, the edible food surplus will be donated to 
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accredited food banks , as determined by the DSWD; and 
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(e) Food banks, in coordination with the DSWD and LGU’s, will 
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distribute the edible food surplus to the food insecure. 
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SEC. 8. Food-related Business Waste Reduction Strategy. – The 
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owners of food-related businesses such as food manufacturers, 
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supermarkets, restaurants, cafeterias, culinary schools and hotels 
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shall: 
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(a) Submit their respective reports to the DSWD and DENR 
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containing data on the amount (in tons) of its edible and 
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inedible food surplus, organized according to the  manner of 
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disposal, including donation, composting, or discarding; 
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(b) Enter into a Contract with food banks to redistribute edible 
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food surplus to the food insecures; and 
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(c) Ensure that edible food surplus is unadulterated and in 
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good condition upon arrival at the food bank’s distribution 
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center, in accordance with standard set by the NNC and FDA. 
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SEC. 9.National Food Surplus Scheme. – The DSWD, as the 
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coordinating agency between food businesses and food banks, shall: 
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(a) Provide guidelines and standards for the collection, storage, 
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and distribution of edible food donated for food banks; 
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(b) Ensure what food businesses have entered into contracts 
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with food banks and issue acceptance certificates to food 
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businesses; 
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(c) Ensure that food banks have adequate storage for edible 
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food surplus; 
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(d) Promote linkages between food banks and LGUs to create a 
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community-based food distribution system for the food 
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insecure; and 
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(e) Create a Self-Sufficiency Program that will provide the food 
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insecure with skills training in managing food banks and 
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livelihood programs to avoid the dependence on donation 
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solely. 
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SEC. 10. Responsibility of LGUs in Waste Reduction Strategy. – LGUs 
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are hereby required to: 
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(a) Submit a report that contains data on the amount (in tons) 
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of inedible food surplus that can be recycled as raw materials 
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for fertilizers or compost to the DENR in accordance with the 
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standard set by it; 
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(b) Initiate waste segregation efforts per household through 
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local campaigns; 
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(c) Shoulder the cost of transporting inedible food surplus from 
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the collection areas to waste management sites; 
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(d) Enter into contract with waste management and recycling 
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enterprises to recycle inedible food waste into fertilizer or 
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compost; and 
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(e) Facilitate the distribution of fertilizer or compost to farms 
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and community gardening associations. 
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SEC. 11. Accreditation and Training of Health Inspectors. – The DOH, 
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in coordination with the FDA, shall conduct seminars and provide 
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adequate training to LGU health inspectors regarding the proper 
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sorting, collection, and determination of edible and inedible food 
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surplus. 
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SEC. 12. Supervision. – The NNC, in coordination with the DSWD, 
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shall supervise the enforcement and implementation of this Act. 
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SEC. 13. Liability Protection. – To protect the food donors from 
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possible abuses, and encourage donations, the liability of owners of 
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the food-related businesses is limited only to the time that they have 
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possession of the food surplus. Once a donation has been made to 
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the accredited food banks and/or farms, the owner shall be exempt 
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from any liability and/or injury arising therefrom. 
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SEC. 14. Prohibition of Selling Edible and Inedible Food Surplus. – 
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The reselling of donated edible and inedible food surplus is strictly 
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prohibited. The penalty of prision mayor shall be imposed upon 
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anyone caught reselling donated food surplus. If the offender is a 
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juridical entity, the responsible officers will be held liable for said 
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violation. 
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SEC 15. Penal Provisions/Penalties. – The penalty of a fine 
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amounting to Five hundred thousand pesos [Php 500,000.00] shall 
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be imposed upon any individual, private or public entity, who makes 
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edible food surplus unfit for consumption. The same penalty is 
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applicable to private or public persons/entities who prevent the 
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redirection of edible food surplus to food banks or inedible food 
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surplus to waste management and recycling enterprises. The fines 
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shall be imposed as follows: 
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First time offenders……………………..Php 1,000,000.00 
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Second time offenders………………….Php 1,500,000.00 
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Third time offenders…………………….Php 2,000,000.00 
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Fourth time offenders…………………..Php 3,000,000.00 
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Fifth time offenders and up…………..Php 5,000,000.00 
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SEC. 16. Implementing Rules and Regulations. -  Within sixty [60] 
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days from the effectivity of this Act, the NNC, in coordination with 
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the DSWD, DILG, DENR, DOST, DepEd and DOH, shall promulgate 
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the necessary rules and regulations for the effective implementation 
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of this Act. 
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SEC. 17. Separability Clause. – If any provision or part hereof is held 
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invalid or unconstitutional, the remainder of the law or the provision 
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not otherwise affected shall remain valid and subsisting. 
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SEC. 18. Repealing Clause. – All other laws, presidential decrees or 
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issuances, executive orders, letters of instruction, administrative 
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orders, rules and regulations contrary to or inconsistent with the 
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provisions of this Act are hereby repealed, modified, or amended 
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accordingly. 
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SEC. 19. Effectivity. – This Act shall take effect fifteen [15] days after 
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its publication in the Official Gazette or in a newspaper of general 
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circulation. 
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Approved, 
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