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SPNAFE
FIFTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE) yp, emeeor if SECRETARY
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES —_)
First Regular Session ) 1
1 WR P3319
SENATE
Senate Bill No._ 2038 RECEIVED AY,

Introduced by SENATOR EDGARDO J. ANGARA

EXPLANATORY NOTE

In 1998, 9.2% of our Filipino children of pre-school age were underweight. 7.2%
of them were wasted, and 5.4% of them were stunted. In the long-term, these children are
more susceptible to infection and disease, and usually with more serious outcomes due to
the effects of malnutrition, Consequently too, they absent themselves from school more
frequently and have lower scholastic performance.

Malnutrition cuts across all island groupings. Western and Bastem Visayas,”
Southern and Central Mindanao, Bicol and even parts of the NCR have prevalence rates”
of underweight over 13%. In addition, over 30% of all children under the age of 5 years
suffer from anemia. 1

‘The most effective means to target childhood malnutrition is through the public
school network. Unfortunately, although there are current school feeding programs
administered by the Department of Education, these programs rely heavily on allocations
from budgets of senators or congressmen, or donations from private individuals and
corporations. There is therefore an urgent need to immediately provide for an
institutionalized and legislated child nutrition program targeting public elementary
schools throughout the country.

‘Through the Child Nutrition Act, a budgetary allocation shall be made to
institutionalize a School Feeding Program throughout the public elementary school
network, incentives shall also be given to private companies donating milk, juices, food
and the like to the School Feeding Program.

For the abovementioned reasons, the immediate approval of this bill is earnestly

sought.
wbettloae J. ANGARA

Seriator


‘oa SENATE .

FIFTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE __) fy QPPICE OF THE SECRETARY
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES )
First Regular Session )
TO SR 2 P39.
SENATE

2038 RECEIVED 8V

Senate Bill Ne

fe

Introduced by SENATOR EDGARDO J. ANGARA

AN ACT
PROVIDING FOR A SCHOOL NUTRITION PROGRAM
AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES :
Be it enacted by the Senate and the House of Representatives in Congress
assembled:

SECTION 1. Short Title. - This Act shall be known as the “Child Nutrition Act

of the Philippines.”

SEC. 2. Purpose. In recognition of the demonstrated relationship between food
and good nutrition and the capacity of children to develop and learn, school feeding and
other child nutrition programs shall be extended, expanded, and strengthened under the
authority of the Secretary of Agriculture as a measure to safeguard the health and well-
being of the nation’s children, and to encourage the domestic consumption of agricultural

and other foods in order to meet more effectively the nutritional needs of our children.

SEC. 3. School Feeding Program. A school nutrition program (the “Program”) is}
hereby established, where the National Nutrition Council (“NNC”), the Department of
Education, (“DepED”) and the Department of Health (“DOH) shall initiate, maintain and
expand a system of distribution of milk and fortified snack foods to public elementary
school entrants for a minimum of one hundred twenty (120) feeding days, five (5) timesa +
week and vitamin supplements for a period and in such dosages as may be determined by
the DOH. The Program shall be administered inside the classroom. The Program likewise
aims fo make school entrants aware of the importance of good nutrition by providing
relevant and user-friendly nutrition information and education materials. Provided, that
the Program shall begin within the first two weeks of the school year.

For purposes of this act, a’school entrant is defined as a student enrolled in the.

first grade.

SEC. 4. Objectives of the Program, The Program shall: i


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(1) Provide fresh milk to public elementary schools through the cooperation of
local cooperatives and dairy corporations;

(2) Provide vitamin supplements in such dosages and for such a duration as the
DOH may determine most beneficial to the child's health and nutritional well-
being;

(3) Target all public school entrants regardless of their nutritional status;

(4) Each school entrant will receive milk and fortified snacks, based on a menu
determined by the NNC in conjunction with the Department of Science and
Technology to consist of a combination of foods meeting the minimum
nutritional requirements on the basis of tested nutritional research, except that
the minimum nutritional requirements shall be measured by not less than the
weekly average of the nutrient content of the meals.

(5) Beneficiaries shall eat their snack inside the classroom during recess time and
shall not be allowed to bring home his ration; Provided, that if a school child
was absent, the school feeding coordinator in the school shall insure that his
share for that day shall be added to his share the next feeding day when he
reports back to class; Provided, further, that only twice the usual serving
portion shall be allowed to an absentee school child; Provided, finally, that,in
case of prolonged absence, both the milk and/or snack food shall be given on
a staggered basis, doubling his share every feeding day until the school child
catches up with the others;

(6) Beneficiaries shall take their vitamin supplements inside the classroom

simultaneously with the fortified snack.

SEC. 5, Incentives to Private Companies. Local dairy cooperatives, private
agricultural companies and other companies donating food, milk, juices, vitamin
supplements or other similar products (the "Product"), are’ hereby allowed to deduct
from its gross income eared two hundred percent (200%) of the value of the Product,
provided that:

(1) the donation is duly approved by the Secretary of Education upon
recommendation of the Director of the NNC, in case of food products, and
the Secretary of Health, in case of vitamin products; and

(2). the deduction shall not exceed twenty percent (20%) of gross income eamed.

SEC. 6. Social Mobilization and Preparation. Orientation-training shall be held
among DepED health and nutrition unit personnel at the regional and division levels, in,
order to orient them on the Program’s objectives and mechanics and generate support to

the Program.


An orientation-workshop shall be conducted at the district and school levels for
district and schoo! level heads. The output shall be the school plan of action containing
the roles and responsibilities of the concemed school personnel.

‘Training and orientation shall be conducted by the DepED core of trainors, with
personnel trained at the schools division level being responsible for training staff at the
district and municipal level; and those trained at the municipal level training the
implementers and feeding coordinators at the school level.

The feeding coordinator shall conduct the briefing among parents and children,
including determining the baseline knowledge of the children and their parents on
nutrition through a pre-test and delineating the roles among parents during the duration of
the feeding. :

Feeding paraphernalia consisting of placemats, napkin, spoon and fork, small

bowl, saucer, mugs and drinking glass should be brought by the pupils.

SEC. 7. Simultaneous Examination, A simultaneous health and dental
examination and deworming of the participating children shall be done during the
meeting-orientation of parents. These shall be conducted by the division/district medical
staff and nurses or the Rural Health Unit in the community. Pupils found with
defecVailments shall be given proper treatment or referred to hospitals. Classroom
advisers shall note observations regarding the pupils’ health condition. Height and weight

of pupils shall be taken before the Program and every month after the start thereof.

SEC. 8. Procurement, Storage and Handling of Food Items and Vitamin
‘Supplements, Procurement of the fortified snack foods shall be done by DepED in
coordination with the NNC, and in cases where rice or sugar will be distributed, in
coordination with the National Food Authority (NFA), while that of fresh mille shall be
procured by the National Dairy Authority (NDA). Vitamin supplements shall be procured
by the DOH.

All public elementary schools shall submit to DepED the number of school
entrants expected by April 15 of each year. The list shall be consolidated by DepED and
used as a basis for procuring fortified snack foods. DepED shall insure the food
commodities arrive on time to the schools through the district schools, which shall be the

designated pick-up point, Public elementary schools shall pick up the commodities after:

the fifth day of each month even without notice from the district school. +
DepED shall furnish the DOH with the number of school entrants per district by,
April 30 of each year. The list shall be used by the DOH as a basis for procuring vitamin,

supplements, DOH shall insure delivery to the district school of vitamin supplements,

needed for that district within the first five (5) days of each month.


For the fresh milk, DepED shall furnish the NDA with the number of children per
school located in the twelve (12) key dairy development areas of the country, with local
dairy cooperatives delivering fresh milk daily to schools to insure freshness and safety.
The NDA shall make payment upon the local dairy cooperative upon submission of a
certification issued by the public elementary school stating that fresh milk was received
in good condition. The fresh milk should be individually packed in sealed plastic,
provided with straw and properly packed in ice to avoid spoilage during transport,
Provided, that the local dairy cooperative shall be responsible to insure the safety of the
fresh milk before it reaches the school.

SEC. 9, Role of the Secretary of Agriculture. The Secretary of Agriculture shall
provide technical assistance and training, including technical assistance and training in
the preparation of foods high in complex carbohydrates and lower-fat versions of foods
commonly used in the Program, to schools participating in the Program to assist the
schools in complying with the nutritional requirements prescribed by the NNC in |
coordination with the DOST and in providing appropriate meals to children with
medically certified special dietary needs.

SEC. 10. Use in Program of food in abundance or donated. Each schoi!
participating under the Program shall, insofar as practicable, utilize in its Program foods
designated from time to time by the Secretary of Agriculture as being in abundance,
either nationally or in the school area, or foods donated by private entities with the
consent of the DepED and NNC. Provided, that smuggled agricultural products which
have been seized by the proper authorities and which are certified by the DOH as fit for
consumption may be donated by the proper authorities for this Program.

SEC. 11. Local Government Participation. Local Government Units where
school districts are located shall provide a counterpart fund of at least twenty percent

(20%) of the cost incurred for Programs implemented within their jurisdiction.

SEC. 12. Priority Areas. In case of shortage of funds, the implementation of the
Program shall first be undertaken in provinces where malnutrition rates are most severe,

as may be determined by the NNC.

SEC. 13. Rules and Regulations. The DepED, NNC and DOST shall draw the
implementing rules and regulations of this Act within thirty (30) days from the effectivity
of this Act.


Sowmraanunun

SEC. 14, Appropriations.- An il sum of One Hundred Million Pesos
(P100,000,000.00) is hereby appropriated for the first year of implementation of the
Program. Thereafter, all appropriations shall be taken ftom the annual appropriations of
the NNC. Provided, that all administrative expenses of the Program shail be taken from

the DepED annual appropriations.

SEC. 15. Effectivity. This law shall take effect within fifteen (15) days from

publication in a newspaper of general circulation.

Approved,