Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City, Metro Manila
NINETEENTH CONGRESS
Second Regular Session
HouseBillNo.9818
INTRODUCED BY REPRESENTATIVES RALPH WENDEL P. TULFO,
]OCFLYN P. TULFO, AND ERWIN T. TULFO
AN ACT STRENGTHENING THE NATIONAL NUTRITION COMMISSION,
REPEALING FOR THE PURPOSE PRESIDENTIAL DECREE NO. 491,
ENTITLED "CREATING A NATIONAL NUTRITION COUNCIL AND FOR
OTHER PURPOSES"
EXPLANATORY NOTE
Presidential  Decree No.  491,  otherwise known as  the "Nutrition Act of the
Philippines'', created the National Nutrition Council (NNC) as the country's highest
policy-making and coordinating body for nutrition.i However, since its establishment
in 1974, the NNC continues to operate on a modest scale, with more or less a hundred
employees comprising the national and regional offices,2  despite it being the lead
agency in fighting hunger and malnutrition in the entire country.
In order to achie\'e nutritional adequacies for all Filipinos, malnutrition has to
be fully addressed in all its conditions, such as micro-nutrient related malnutrition,
overweight,   obesity,   and   diet-related   non-communicable   diseases,   while   also
attending to prevalent issues of wasting,  stunting,  underweight, and  vitamin and
mineral deficiencies, which characterize undernutrition.3 For decades, there have been
almost no improvement in the prevalence of undernutrition in the country.
According to the World Bank, in order to address the challenge of reducing
undernutrition, there is a need to build a strong and more coordinated partnership for
nutrition  by  strengthening  the  NNC  to  provide  the  supervisory  and  oversight
capacities needeci for effective and efficient implementation of its programs.I
1      .`Mandates      and      Functions ....;Vc7//.o#cl/     j\'"/rJtJ.oH      C`o!/J7cJ./.      https:;`',''\`rrw``r.nnc.gov.ph,'transparenc}`/8-
transparenc}'`183-mandates-and-functions.
2 ..Staffing Summar}'.-. DL>pcI;./;7fL>#r qf B{tctgc2/ oJ7c/ ,i`t'/cJ#c7get#e#J. https:,`;t'.www.dbm.gov.ph/wp-content;'uploads,''
Staffing,''STAFFING2024;DOH'.B.pdf
3       ..Different       Types       of      Malnutrition.'.       i\'crff.o/7c}/      .r\''G/frJtz.o#       Co%;7c/./.       https:,.''nnc.go\J'.ph7'regional-
offices/mindanao/region-ix-zamboanga-peninsu]a`7819-different-ty.pes-of-malnutrition.
4 ..UndemutTition in the Philippines: Scale. Scope, and Opportunities for Nutrition Polic}' and Programming.-`  777L.
I;i/or/d    Bc7#*.     15    June    2021.     https:/',``wuTh..worldbank.org;'en;'tountr},./`philippines,/publication/'-ke}J-findings-
undemutrition-in-the-philippines.


Given its strategic programs, one of which is the Philippine Plan of Action for
Nutrition  (PPAN),  a  five-year  roadmap  which  serves  as  a  blueprint  to  guide  the
government,  non-govemmental  organizations,  academe,  and  private  sector  in  a
coordinated  effort  to  reduce  all  forms  of  malnutrition,5  this  proposed  legislative
measure seeks to expand the functions and scope of the NNC. This bill will further
support  NNC's  comlnitment  to  ensure  improved  access  to  quality  nutrition  and
related interventions through formulation and coordination of policies and programs
with excellence, integrity, and transparency.
In view of the foregoing, the urgent passing of this bill is earnestly sought.
2nd District of Quezon City
https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1826601/5-year-plan-to-fight-malnutrition-
formed#:~:text=MANILA%2C%20Philippines%20-%20A%20five-
children%2C%20officials%20said%20on%20Monday.
2


-Republic of the philippines
HOUSE 0F REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City, Metro Manila
NINErEENTII CONGRESS
Second Rieguidr Session
HouseBillNo.9816
INTRODUCED BY REPRESENTATIVES RALPH l^7ENDEL P. TULFO,
|0CELYN P. TULFO, AND ERWIN T. TULFO
1         AN ACT STRENGTHENING THE NATIONAL NUTRITION COMMISSION,
2                 REPEALING FOR THE PURPOSE PRESIDENTIAL DECREE NO. 491,
3           ENTITLED "CREATING A NATIONAL NUTRITION COUNCIL AND FOR
4                                                            OTHER PURPOSES"
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6      Be it erected by the senate and the House of Rapresentatines of the philippines in congress
7       assemble d:
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SECTION 1. SJiorf T{.fJe. -This Act shall be known as the ``Nutrition Act of 2024''.
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11           SEC. 2. Dechartzfro# a/ Port.ey.  -It is hereby declared the policy  of the state to
12     promote, propagate, and develop further the framework for expanding the National
13      Nutritional Council which aims to protect the health and well-being of the general
14      population especially toddlers and senior citizens.  In addition, it is also a declared
15      policy of the state under Article ll, Section 15 of the 1987 Constitution to ensure and
16      guarantee the right of the Filipinos to health and instill health consciousness among
17     them
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19          In several international commitments, the state commits to the development of the
20     nation's hedth sector and its social protection programs consistent with the principles
21      embodied in the lnternational covenant on Economic, Social and cultural Rights, the
22      Convention on the Rights of the child, and the convention on the Eradication of All
23      Forms of Discrimination against women. Therefore, the state ensures to:
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(a) Provide good nutrition;
Q]) Ensure food security;
(c) Eliminate hunger;
(d) End all forms of malnutrition;
(e) Improve the quality of life;
(f)  Prioritize nutrition for all age groups; and
(g) Collaborate across all branches of the government, local government units, civil
society orgrnizations, and private sectors to guarantee improved human health
and well-being.
SEC. 3. Dg/I.#z.fro# a/ rerr7is. - For purposes of this Act, the foHowing terms shall be
13      defined asfollows:
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(a)   N#fro.I.iorz refers to the process of providing or obtaining the food necessary for
health and growth;
Q)  Mflhaztfro.fro7.I refers to the lack of proper nutrition, caused by not having enough
to eat, not eating enough of the right things, or being unable to use the food that
one dan at;
(c)   H#Hgrr refers to a status of an individual whose food intake regularly provides
less than their minimum energy requirements;
(d)   fcotr ScczJ7t.fry refers to an incidence where people, at all times, have physical and
economic access to sufficient, safe, and nutritious food that meets their dietary
needs and I ood preferences for an active and healthy life;
(e)   urhaf[ Poor refers to the situation wherein people live below a certain amount of
income in the crty and have limited access to some social means; and
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1            (I)    Norz-Got)er7#f'ze7i£ Orgtz#z.2acfro7zs refer to non-stex=k, non-profit organizations duly
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registered  with  the  Securities  and  Exchange  Commission,  focusing  on  the
upliftment  Of  the  basic  or  disadvantaged  sectors  of  society  by  providing
advcx=acy, training, community organizing, research, access to resources, and
other similar activities, as defined in Republic Act No. 8425, otherwise known as
the "Social Reform and Poverty Alleviation Act''.
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8          SEC. 4. Renaming of the National Nutritionat counciL -The rroirn!end.at\ire of tfue
9     National Nutrition council which was established pursuant to Hesidential Decree No.
10     491,  as  amended,  is  hereby  changed  to  the  "National  Nutrition  Commission'',
11      hereinafter referred to as the "Commission'', which shall be attached to the office of the
12      President for general direction and coordination.
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14           SEC. 5. Co"pos!.f!.o# a/ f7zc cor#r#issl.orl. -The commission shall be headed by a
15      Chairperson with the rank of cabinet secretary and two (2) Commissioners with the
16     rank of undersecretary. The chairperson and the commissioners shall be citizens and
17     residents  Of  the  Philippines,  of  good  moral  character,  of  recognized  probity  and
18      independence, and must have distinguished themselves professionally in public, civic,
19      or academic service in the fields of health and nutrition. They must have been in the
20      active practice of their professions for at least ten (10) years.
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22          SEC.  6.  Tfrmis  a/  0/fty&  -  The  term  of  office  of  the  Chairperson  and  the
23      Commissioners  shall  be  six  (6)  years  without  reappointment.  Or  the  first  set  Of
24     appointees, the chairperson and first commissioner appointed shall hold office for six
25      (6) years and the second commissioner appointed shall serve for a term of four (4) years.
26      In case a vacancy occurs before the expiration of the term of office, the appointment to
27      such vacaney shall only be for the unexpired term of the predecessor. The chairperson
28      and the commissioners shall enjoy the security of tenure and shall not be suspended or
29      removed from office, except for just cause as provided by law. At the expiration of the
30     term of the chairperson or in case of vacancy, the most senior of the commissioners
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shalltemporarilyassumeandperformthedutiesandfunctiousoftheChairpersonuntil
a permanent Chairperson is appointed by the President.
SEIC. 7. Powers, Fuaclions, and Respousthitities Of the CommissiorL -The powers,
functions, and responsibilities of the Commission are as follows:
(a) To  formulate  an  integrated  and  multi-sectoral  national  policy,  programs,
activities, and projects on nutrition and food to ensure good nutrition, eliminate
hunger, and food security;
Q) To  supervise,  coordinate,  monitor,  and  evaluate  the  implementation  of  its
projects,    progralns,    and    activities    undertaken    by    all    agencies    and
instrumentalities of both the government and private sector concerning nutrition
and food.  It shall coordinate with the National Disaster Rick Reduction and
Management Council and the Department of Social Welfare and Development
(DSWD) to ensure proper nutrition and food during emergencies and disasters;
(c) To provide technical assistance to increase the competencies and capabilities Of
stakeholders  and  health  workers  throuch  the  conduct  of  public  education,
capacity building, skills development, and advocacy;
(d)Toestablishacontinuingprogramforinformationdisseminationandawareness;
(e) To  create  and  maintain  a  system  for  nutrition  surveillance  with  a  gender
perspective;
(i)  To coordinate the release of public funds for nutrition and food in accordance
with the approved projects, programs, and activities;
(g) To coordinate all requests for loans and grants by  the government agencies
involved in the nutrition and food program;
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th) To provide monetary and non-monetary incentives to nutrition champions by
establishing a rewards and recognition system; and
(i)  To call on any department, bureau, agency; and other instnrmentalities of the
govemmentforassistanceintheformofpersormel,resources,andfacintiesasthe
need arises.
SEC. 8. Piioziisforl¢! Ade!¢ibefis fznd Li."kflges. -The Commission, upon call, shall have
the support, assistance, and coordination of the fonowing provisional members:
(a) Undersecretaries of the following government bodies:
(1)    Department of Health (IroH);
(2)    Department of Agriculture;
(3)    Department of the Interior and Local Government;
(4)    Department of Education (DepEd);
(5)    DswD;
(6)    Department of Trade and Industry;
(7)    Department of Labor and Employment;
(8)    Department of science and Technology;
(9)    Department of Budget and Management;
(10)  National Economic and Development Authority;
ap) Presidents of the Leagues of Local Government Units:
(1)    League of provinces;
(2)    League of cities;
(3)    League of Municipalities;
(4)    Liga ng mga Barangay;
(c) Maximurn of three (3) representatives from any Of the following private sector:
(1)    Health and nutrition professional organizations;
(2)    Farmer and fisherfolk;
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(3)    Women;
(4)    Children;
(5)    Urbanpoor;
(6)    Food manufacturing;
(7)    Academe and research institutions;
(8)    Organization or association of community; and
(9)    Non-government organizations (NGOs).
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9          The Commission and  the provisional members shall  sit en  ba7ic to approve  the
10     Philippine Plan of Action for Nutrition (PPAN) and for another purpose as may be
11      determined by the chairperson.
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13          The  provisional  members  shall  have  the  honoraria  of  Ten  Thousand  Pesos
14      Php10,000.00) or five percent (5%) of their respective basic salaries, whichever is higher
15      permeeting.
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L]          SEC. 9. Philippine plan of Action f or Nutrition. -A ten-year multrsectoral aind
18     integrated national nutrition plan of action shall be developed and formulated by the
19      Commission in coordination with NGOs and relevant government agencies, such as the
20      DOH,  DSWD,  and  DepEd,  among others.  The PPAN  should  be  aligned  with the
21      Philippine Development plan (PDP).
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2 3          In developing the PPAN, the policies, principles, and programs embodied in the PDP
24      (Alhoisyon 2040), Food Fortification Law (Republic Act No.  8976),  An Act for Salt
25      Iodization Nationwide qiepublic Act No. 8172), Nutrition and Dietetics I.aw of 2016
26      (Republic  Act  No.  10862),  Masustansiyang  Pagkain  Para  sa  Batang  Pilipino  Act
27      (Republic Act No.11037), Kalusugan at Nutrisyon ng Mag-Nanay Act (Republic Act
28      No. 11148), and all relevant laws on the nutrition and food security to be enacted
29      hereafter must be considered.
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1          The  said   plan  must  have  measurable  targets  for  ending , malnutrition  and
2      undernutrition after ten (10) years of its implementation. The PPAN must be concurred
3     in by its provisional members. The PPAN must be submitted to the once of the
4     President for direction and coordination.
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6           SEC.10. N#£ri.fro# Mo#£fe. -The month of July shall be designated as ``Nutrition
7     Month"  for  the  purpose  of creating greater awareness  among our people on  the
8     importance of nutrition. The commission shall formulate and approve programs and
9      activities for Nutrition Month which should be coordinated across all sectors, whether
10      publicorprivate.
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12           SEC.11. Dof!¢f{.o#s. -The Commission shall be authorized to receive donations,
13      grants, or gifts in whatever form and from whatever sources: Pror".did, That said grants,
14      gifts, or donations shall be administered, obligated, and disbursed in accordance with
15      the terms of the grant or doriation and in such manner as the commission may in its
16      discretion determine.
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T8           SEC. T2. Reterition of pe:rson:net; Secu;rity  of Tel'l:are; Upgrading of positions and
19      Sflharfes. -All existing permanent personnel of the National Nutrition council shall not
20      be adversely affected by this Act. They shall continue in office and shall not be removed
21      or separated from the service, except for cause as provided by existing laws. Further,
22      the present positions and salaries of personnel shall be upgraded to the level of their
23      counterparts in a department set-up. The commission shall hire such other personnel
24      as may be necessary for the performance of its functions.
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26           SEC.13.  Trflusi.fony ProtJisf.ous.  -In consonance  with  the above  provision,  the
27      incumbent Executive Director and Deputy Executive Directors shall serve as the first
28     Chairperson and commissioners upon the effectivity of this Act.
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1           SEC.  14.  A;xpropr!.flfjods.  -  The  State  shall  hereby  provide  the  initial  amount
2      necessary for the organizational and operational requirements of this Act. Thereafter,
3      the amount necessary to carry the provisions of this Act shall be included in the General
4      Appropriations Act of the year following its enactment into law and thereafter.
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6           SEC.15. Sqz?¢rflbz.Ji.fry chai{se. -If any provision of this Act is held unconstitutional
7      or invalid, all other provisions hereof not affected thereby shall remain valid.
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9           SEC.16. Rapeflzt.#g chauscL -Presidential Decree No. 491, as amended by Executive
10      Order No. 234, s.1987, Administrative cinder No. 88, s.1988, and Executive order No.
11      427, s. 2005, is hereby repealed. AIl other laws, executive orders, executive issuances, or
12     letters of instructions, or any part thereof inconsistent with or contrary to the provisions
13      of this Act, are hereby deemed repealed, amended, or modified accordingly.
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15           SEC.17. E#ech.I".fry. -This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its publication
16      in the official Gazette or in a newspaper of general circulation.
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18           Approved,
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