EIGHTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE 
)
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES 
)
First Regular Session 
)
• >>
1 
' (PWitr of tbc ^fc ri'to rp
S E N A T E
S. B. No. 138
'19 
JU L -2  AlO ^ 4
RECt. ...
Introduced by Senator SONNY ANGARA
AN ACT
ENSURING THE AVAILABILITY, ADEQUACY, ACCESSIBILITY AND SAFETY 
OF FOOD TO EVERY FILIPIN O
EXPLANATORY NOTE
The Commission on Population and Development (POPCOM) projected that 
the number of Filipnos would balloon to nearly 109 million by the end of 2019— 
reaching 142 million by 2045.
This huge and fast-growing population is often cited as a main factor driving 
the country's global competitiveness and improving attractiveness to investment. 
Consider that our workforce will balloon to 70 million by the end of 2019.
But while these demographics open up great opportunities, such situation also 
poses some very serious challenges. Will we be able to meaningfully provide 
adequate food and nutrition to present and future generations of Filipinos?
The Philippines ranked 70th out of 130 countries in the 2018 Global Food 
Security Index by the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU). Such ranking is an 
improvement from the 2017 index, where the country ranked 79th out of 113. 
However, this still puts us 34th out of 57 middle income countries surveyed. Out of 
23 Asia-Pacific countries included, we ranked 14th, only ahead of Myanmar (19tt1), 
Cambodia (21st) and Laos (23rd) in the ASEAN.
Specifically, we ranked 74th for food affordability, 63rd for food availability, 
69th for quality and safety and 101st in terms of natural resources and resilience. 
Among the sub-categories, the Philippines again ranked first in only one, nutritional 
standards—pointing perhaps to our perennial problem with being excellent in law­
making, but extremely poor in implementation.


Reversing these numbers, and hence improving food security, remains among 
the country's most urgent concerns. Several laws may already be in place to deal 
with the issues of food production and agricultural productivity. The urgency of 
protecting every Filipinos' right to food however makes it imperative that a broader 
legal framework is established to harmonize all of the country's policies towards 
ensuring the availability, accessibility, and adequacy of food for all.
Among its many provisions, the foregoing measure explicitly lists down 
governmental obligations of the State to repsect, protect, and fullfill every Filipinos' 
right to adequate food. It also lays out specific percentage targets on the reduction 
of hunger, ultimately aiming for the zero incidence of forced hunger within a ten- 
year period.
The measure also clarifies institutional responsibilities of the different line 
agencies towards addressing the following areas of concern: 1) food availability, 
stability and adequacy; 2) food quality and safety; 3) the determination of standards 
on the minimum amount of food to be given to any person suffering from hunger or 
under nutrition; 4) physical and economic access to food; and, 5) well-functioning 
distribution, processing and market systems. To oversee and orchestrate the 
implementation of this measure, a Commission on the Right to Adequate Food will 
be created, under the Office of the President.
For the sake of every Filipino, those who are already here and have yet to 
come, the swift passage and enactment of this measure is earnestly sought.
GARA


EIGHTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE 
)
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES 
)
First Regular Session 
)
S E N A T E
S. B. No. 138
" ‘k r
' i v  «0ffuf of tJir !&rrr'tavp
■19 
JU L-2 AlO ^4
REC£!';:u
Introduced by Senator SONNY ANGARA
AN ACT
ENSURING THE AVAILABILITY, ADEQUACY, ACCESSIBILITY AND SAFETY 
OF FOOD TO EVERY FILIP IN O
Be it enacted by the Senate and the House o f Representatives o f the Philippines in 
Congress assembled:
1 
Section 1. Short Title. -  This Act shall be known as the "Right to Adequate
2 
Food Framework Act."
3 
Sec. 2. Declaration o f Policy. -  Consistent with the principles enshrined in the
4 
Constitution as well as the provisions of the International Covenant on Economic,
5 
Social and Cultural Rights, Convention on the Rights of the Child, and the
6 
Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women, to
7 
which the Philippines is a State Party, it is hereby declared the policy of the State to
8 
guarantee the right to adequate food.
9 
Adequate food is not a matter of charity, but a legal entitlement. Hunger is
10 
inconsistent with human dignity and human rights, and must be eliminated. The
11 
State shall provide for a framework to address and eliminate hunger in an organized
12 
manner.
13 
Sec. 3. Definition o f Terms. -  As used in this Act:
14 
a) 
Food refers to solid, liquid and semi-liquid nourishment, as well as drinking
15 
water, and when taken into the body serves to nourish, build and repair
16 
tissues, supply energy, or regulate body processes;
17 
b) 
Food blockade refers to an act of cutting off food supplies from a particular
18 
area by force, either in part or totally;


1 
c) 
Food emergenq/ refers to a situation in which access to food is endangered,
2 
as that caused by natural events like drought, floods, storms, earthquakes, or
3 
crop failures resulting from pests or diseases; or by human agency such as
4 
internal or international armed conflict;
5 
d) 
Hunger refers to a condition in which people do not get enough food to eat to
6 
provide the necessary nutrients for fully productive, active and healthy living
7 
due to the unavailability and inaccessibility of food. It can be acute, such as
8 
during a major disaster when food supply channels are cut, or chronic, when
9 
people are regularly not getting enough food to conduct an active life for a
10 
long time;
11 
It is also a condition of starvation, which is not having enough food of
12 
any sort to eat, or undernourishment, which is having enough food to eat, but
13 
of inadequate quality.
14 
e) 
Right to adequate food refers to the right to have regular, permanent and
15 
unrestricted access, either directly or by means of financial purchases, to
16 
quantitatively 
and 
qualitatively 
adequate, 
sufficient 
and 
safe 
food,
17 
corresponding to the cultural traditions of the people to which a consumer
18 
belongs, and which ensure physical and mental, individual and collective,
19 
fulfilling and dignified life, free of 
fear;
20 
f) 
Vulnerable groups refer to those who are particularly disadvantaged. These
21 
include indigenous peoples, ethnic, linguistic or religious minorities, persons
22 
with disabilities, persons living with Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) or
23 
Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS), refugees and internally
24 
displaced people, elderly, women, including pregnant and lactating mothers
25 
and children, particularly those from zero to twenty-three (23) months of age.
26 
Sec. 4. Normative Content -  The right to adequate food is realized when
27 
every man, woman and child, alone or in community with others, have physical and
28 
economic access at all times to adequate food, or means for its procurement.
29 
The right to adequate food must not be interpreted in a narrow or restrictive sense,
30 
which equates it with a minimum package of calories, proteins and other specific
31 
nutrients. The right to adequate food must be realized progressively. However,
32 
States have the core obligation to take the necessary action to mitigate and alleviate


1 
hunger, even in times of natural or other disasters. The right to be free from hunger
2 
ensures a minimum daily nutritional intake and the bare survival of a person. The
3 
right to adequate food goes beyond freedom from hunger. Central to the realization
4 
of the right to adequate food is an adequacy standard in terms of quality, quantity
5 
and cultural acceptability, sustainability of food availability and access.
6 
a) 
The concept o f adequacy \s particularly significant since it underlines a number
7 
of factors which must be taken into account in determining whether particular
8 
foods or diets that are accessible can be considered the most appropriate under
9 
given circumstances. The notion of sustainability is intrinsically linked to the
10 
notion of adequate food or food security, implying that food must be accessible
11 
to both present and future generations. The precise meaning of adequacy is to
12 
a large extent determined by prevailing social, economic, cultural, climatic,
13 
ecological and other conditions, while sustainability incorporates the notion of
14 
long-term availability and accessibility.
15 
b) 
The core content o f the right to adequate food implies:
16 
1. the availability of food in a quantity and quality sufficient to satisfy the
17 
dietary needs of individuals, free from adverse substances, and acceptable
18 
within a given culture;
19 
2. the accessibility of such food in ways that are sustainable, and do not
20 
interfere with the enjoyment of other human rights.
21 
c) Dietary needs refer to the diet as a whole that contains a mix of nutrients for
22 
physical and mental growth, development and maintenance, and physical
23 
activity, that are in compliance with human physiological needs at all stages
24 
throughout the life cycle, and according to gender and occupation. Measures
25 
therefore need to be taken to maintain, adapt or strengthen dietary diversity
26 
and appropriate consumption and feeding patterns, including optimal breast-
27 
feeding, as well as to ensure that changes in availability and access to food
28 
supply as a minimum do not negatively affect dietary composition and intake.
29 
d) Freedom from adverse substances refers to the requirements for food safety
30 
and for a range of protective measures by both public and private means to
31 
prevent contamination of foodstuff through adulteration, or through bad
32 
environmental hygiene, or inappropriate handling at different stages throughout


1 
the food chain. Care must also be taken to identify and avoid or destroy
2 
naturally occurring toxins.
3 
e) Cultural or consumer acceptability refers to the need to take into account, as
4 
far as possible, perceived non nutrient-based values attached to food and food
5 
consumption and informed consumer concerns regarding the nature of
6 
accessible food supplies.
7 
f) 
The concept o f availability refers to the possibilities either for feeding oneself
8 
directly from productive land or other natural resources, or for well-functioning
9 
distribution, processing and market systems that can move food from the site
10 
of production to where it is needed in accordance with demand.
11 
g) Accessibility refers to economic and physical accessibility:
12 
1. Economic accessibility means personal or household financial costs
13 
associated with the acquisition of food for an adequate diet should be at a
14 
level such that the attainment and satisfaction of other basic needs are
15 
not threatened, or compromised. Economic accessibility applies to any
16 
acquisition pattern or entitlement through which people procure their
17 
food, and is a measure of the extent to which it is satisfactory for the
18 
enjoyment of the right to adequate food. Socially vulnerable groups such
19 
as landless persons and other particularly impoverished segments of the
20 
population may need attention through special programs.
21 
2. Physical accessibility means that adequate food must be accessible to
22 
everyone, including physically vulnerable individuals, such as infants and
23 
young children, elderly people, those belonging to the informal sector, the
24 
physically disabled, the terminally ill and persons with persistent medical
25 
problems, including the mentally ill. Victims of natural disasters, people
26 
living in disaster-prone areas and other specially disadvantaged groups
27 
need 
special 
attention 
and 
priority consideration with 
respect to
28 
accessibility of food. A particular vulnerability is that of many indigenous
29 
peoples groups whose access to their ancestral lands is threatened.


1 
Sec. 5. Conditions for the Exercise o f the Right to Adequate Food. -  Every
2 
person has the right to live in conditions that will enable the person:
3 
a) to feed directly from productive land or other natural resources; or rely on well-
4 
functioning food distribution, processing and market systems, or both;
5 
b) to financially acquire a sufficient quantity and quality of food and to satisfy
6 
other basic needs;
7 
c) to be safe from the risk of losing access to food, as a consequence of sudden
8 
shocks, like an economic or climatic crisis, or one that is brought about by
9 
internal displacements of people, or cyclical events, such as seasonal food
10 
insecurity;
11 
d) to have the opportunity of good food utilization through access to adequate
12 
diet, clean water, sanitation 
and health care and to reach a state of nutritional
13 
well-being, where all physiological needs are met; and
14 
e) to access food or diet that is the most appropriate under given circumstances,
15 
in terms of their nutritional value and cultural acceptability.
16 
Every infant, girl and boy has a right to adequate food and to optimal health,
17 
development and nutrition adequate for their age, growth and development.
18 
Every woman has a right to adequate food and adequate nutrition during
19 
pregnancy and lactation.
20 
No limitation on the right to adequate food may be allowed, unless it is
21 
provided by law, is necessary for the purpose of a compelling public interest, and is
22 
compatible with the nature of the right to adequate food.
23 
Sec. 6. Freedom from hunger. -  Every person has a right to be free from
24 
hunger. Every person suffering from hunger or under nutrition, or at risk of suffering
25 
from hunger or under nutrition is entitled to a minimum amount of food according to
26 
one's age, sex, health status and occupation, as provided for in Section 13 of this
27 
Act.
28 
Sec. 7. Non-discrimination. -  Any distinction, exclusion or restriction made on
29 
the basis of race, color, sex, age, language, religion, political or other opinion,
30 
national or social origin, property, birth or other status, which has the effect or
31 
purpose of impairing or limiting the capacity of an individual to exercise the right to
32 
adequate food, is unlawful and will be sanctioned in accordance with law.


1 
All forms of discrimination against women with regard to the guaranteed right
2 
to adequate food, including less favorable treatment of women for reasons of
3 
pregnancy and maternity, shall be eliminated and prevented. The equality of
4 
opportunities between men and women shall be promoted.
5 
The prohibition of discrimination will not include government action to remedy
6 
past effects of discrimination against particular individuals or groups and to promote
7 
equality of opportunities with regard to the right to adequate food.
8 
Sec. 8. Principles. -  The principles upon which the provisions of this Act are
9 
founded are:
10 
a. 
Participation -  People should be able to determine their own well-being
11 
and participate in the planning, design, monitoring and evaluation of decisions
12 
affecting them. Individuals are able to take part in the conduct of public affairs,
13 
including the adoption and implementation of State policies. Such participation is
14 
active, free and meaningful, whether it is exercised directly or through intermediary
15 
organizations representing specific interests. It is supported by capacity-building and
16 
appropriate integrative mechanisms where necessary.
17 
b. 
Accountability -  Public officials are answerable to their superiors and to
18 
the people they serve. Application of the principle of accountability in the context of
19 
the right to adequate food framework under this Act requires clear assignment of
20 
responsibilities and functions to public authorities for the implementation and
21 
compliance with the framework and any subsequent measures to be taken. In
22 
addition, the expected results are spelled out clearly and appropriate procedures are
23 
established.
24 
c. 
Non-discrimination -  The protection for human rights must be
25 
objectively and reasonably be the same for everybody, irrespective of sex, age, race,
26 
color, 
religion or any other ground. 
In addition to specifically prohibiting
27 
discrimination on any ground, this principle requires specific measures aimed at
28 
correcting de facto discrimination or eliminating conditions that cause or help to
29 
perpetuate discrimination, as well as measures promoting equality. In the context of
30 
this Act, it means paying particular attention to those groups that cannot enjoy their
31 
rights as fully as others.


1 
d. 
Transparency -  The public should be given free and open access to
2 
timely and reliable information on the decisions and performance of public
3 
authorities. Holders of public office are as open as possible about all their decisions
4 
and actions that may affect the free exercise of the right to adequate food. Applying
5 
the principle of transparency within the context of this Act means that people are
6 
provided with essential information about the decision-making process and those
7 
accountable and responsible for it. The people also have the power to demand
8 
information on the processes that feed into the achievement of the particular
9 
entitlement, which provide an easy and low-cost corrective check to malfeasance.
10 
e. 
Human dignity -Persons have absolute and inherent worth, simply
11 
because they are humans, and not by virtue of any social status or a particular
12 
power. This Act recognizes in an unequivocal form that every person has a right to
13 
adequate food. To comply with this principle in the implementation of this Act, the
14 
State, through its public officials, must treat persons equally and respect their
15 
human worth and dignity.
16 
f. 
Empowerment -  The people have the power, capacity, capability and
17 
access means to improve their own lives, including the power to seek from the State
18 
remedies for violations of their human rights. 
This principle is the logical
19 
consequence of all the preceding principles. In the context of this Act, empowerment
20 
entails specific provisions for awareness-raising, capacity-building and education on
21 
the right to adequate food.
22 
g. 
Rule o f law -  Government authority is legitimately exercised only in
23 
accordance with written, publicly disclosed and 
accessible laws adopted and
24 
enforced in conformity with established procedures. The principle is intended as a
25 
safeguard against arbitrary use of State authority and lawless acts of both
26 
organizations and individuals. Rules and regulations to be adopted for ensuring the
27 
implementation of this Act shall be clear, fair and accessible. The rule of law also
28 
means that no person or body can breach the law with impunity. There is access to
29 
justice including the right to an effective remedy for anyone whose rights are
30 
violated, as well as the guarantee of due process in all legal proceedings.


1 
Sec. 9. Governmental Obligations. -  The State has the duty to respect,
2 
protect and fulfill the right to adequate food.
3 
a. 
Respect -  the State has the obligation not to interfere with or impair
4 
the enjoyment of the right to adequate food. No public authority may deprive any
5 
person of food or means for its procurement, apply laws and regulations, or pursue
6 
a policy or practice, in a way that could result in preventing the enjoyment of or
7 
infringing the human right to adequate food, or repeal formally or suspend
8 
legislation necessary for the continued enjoyment of the right to adequate food.
9 
b. 
P ro te ct-th e  State has the duty to provide guarantees against threats
10 
and risks stemming from private actors or societal forces that are controllable by
11 
State action. It is bound to take preventive measures necessary to protect persons
12 
whose capacities to access sufficient and adequate food or means for its
13 
procurement are endangered by the acts of others. It also must review the relevant
14 
administrative and legislative framework ensuring that activities within their
15 
competence undertaken by private actors do not infringe on the right to adequate
16 
food of others.
17 
c. 
Fulfill -  the State has the power to facilitate the enjoyment of the right
18 
to adequate food by adopting or pursuing appropriate policies and measures that
19 
promote the human right to adequate food and to create and maintain conditions
20 
under which every person can freely and regularly enjoy the right to adequate food.
21 
It is equally the duty of the State to provide for right to adequate food, by adopting
22 
and putting in place measures to provide food, or means for its procurement, to
23 
persons who cannot take care of their own needs due to reasons beyond their
24 
control, in particular for children whose parents die, disappear or otherwise no
25 
longer take care of them.
26 
Sec. 10. Targets. -  The State shall ensure that in two and a half years after
27 
the effectivity of this Act the incidence of hunger will be reduced by twenty-five
28 
percent (25%), from the level recorded at the time of the passage of this Act:
29 
Provided, That five (5) years after the effectivity of this Act such incidence of hunger
30 
will be further reduced by twenty-five percent (25%): Provided, further. That in
31 
seven and a half (7 Va) years, it will be further reduced by twenty-five percent


1 
(25%): Provided, finally, That in ten (10) years there shall be a zero incidence of
2 
hunger.
3 
The State shall ensure that the following indicators will considerably and
4 
steadily increase:
5 
a. Percentage of development of ancestral lands;
6 
b. Percentage of rural population with access to productive resources;
7 
c. Share of budget spent on programs aimed at creating access to productive
8 
resources;
9 
d. Percentage of budget spent on agri-research, agri-extension, irrigation,
10 
training, technology, credits and rural development;
11 
e. Percentage of rural female-headed households, or rural women, with legal title
12 
to agriculture lands;
13 
f. 
Percentage of public budget allocation for social transfer programs to those
14 
unable to feed themselves;
15 
g. Coverage of marginalized and disadvantaged population taking part in social
16 
transfer programs;
17 
h. Percentage of marginalized and disadvantaged population covered by a public
18 
nutrition supplement program;
19 
i. 
Percentage of population aware of available food and nutrition programs; and
20 
j. 
Coverage of school feeding programs.
21 
The percentages of the foregoing indicators shall also be stipulated in the
22 
implementing rules and regulations of this Act.
23 
Periodic reviews will be undertaken to ensure compliance with set targets. In
24 
the implementation of this Act, priority will be given to identify areas with chronically
25 
malnourished population. In measuring the incidence of hunger, the key primary
26 
data sources will include national nutrition surveys, household surveys of the
27 
Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA), namely the Family Income and Expenditure
28 
Survey and the Annual Poverty Indicators Survey, and global hunger indices as
29 
benchmarks.
30 
Sec. 
11. Institutional Responsibilities. -  The following agencies of the
31 
government are required to fulfill their respective mandates in a manner that will
32 
ensure full implementation of the primary objectives of this Act:


1 
a. Department of Agriculture (DA);
2 
b. Departmentof Agrarian Reform (DAR);
3 
c. Department of Education (DepEd);
4 
d. Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR);
5 
e. Department of Health (DOH);
6 
f. 
Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG);
7 
g. Department of Justice (DOJ);
8 
h. Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE);
9 
i. Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH);
10 
j. Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD);
11 
k. Department of Science and Technology (DOST);
12 
I. Department of Trade and Industry (DTI);
13 
m. Department of Budget and Management (DBM);
14 
n. Department of Transportation (DOTr);
15 
0. Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT);
16 
p. Commission on Human Rights (CHR);
17 
q. Food and Nutrition Research Institute (FNRI);
18 
r. National Anti-Poverty Commission (NAPC);
19 
s. National Economic Development Authority (NEDA);
20 
t. National Food Authority (NFA);
21 
u. National Nutrition Council (NNC);
22 
V. Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA); and
23 
w. Other agencies and instrumentalities of the government whose functions are
24 
necessary for the efficient and effective implementation of the right to
25 
adequate food.
26 
In addition, the development of a fully-integrated whole of government
27 
approach to implement the national policy governing the right to adequate food and
28 
the use of a human-rights based approach for the establishment and implementation
29 
of the national policy must be institutionalized.
30 
Sec. 12. Commission on the Right to Adequate Food. -  There is hereby
31 
created a Commission on the Right to Adequate Food, hereinafter referred to as the
32 
Commission, which shall be attached to the Office of the President.
10


1 
The Commission shall be the primary policy-making and coordinating body to
2 
guaranteee the implementation and full exercise of the right to adequate food. 
It
3 
shall exercise monitoring and oversight functions, apply human rights principles,
4 
conduct objective impact assessment on all government policies, programs and
5 
projects prior to adoption and implementation, work in close cooperation with civil
6 
society organizations and use all available resources of the government and private
7 
bodies or organizations for the efficient and effective implementation of this Act. It
8 
shall formulate a national food policy and implement programs of action to eradicate
9 
hunger, in coordination with relevant government agencies and in consultations with
10 
civil society organizations and the private sector.
11 
The Commission on the Right to Adequate Food will have the following
12 
powers:
13 
a. Establish a National Food Policy and a continuing program of research,
14 
education and information to enhance respect for the primacy of the right to
15 
adequate food;
16 
b. Adopt operational guidelines and rules of procedure, in relation to the National
17 
Food Policy
18 
c. Recommend to Congress effective measures to promote the right to adequate
19 
food, to harmonize existing laws affecting the right to adequate food, to ensure
20 
their complementation, and the availability of remedies for violations and
21 
compensation to victims of violations of the right to adequate food;
22 
d. Provide appropriate legal measures for the protection of the right to adequate
23 
food of all persons within the Philippines, as well as Philippine citizens residing
24 
abroad, and provide for preventive measures and legal aid services to the
25 
under-privileged whose right to adequate food has been violated or needs
26 
protection;
27 
e. Receive complaints of violations of the right to adequate food from individuals
28 
and groups; and cite for contempt for their violation, in accordance with the
29 
Rules of Court.
30 
f. Investigate, motu propio, or upon complaint by any party, all forms of
31 
violations of the right to adequate food;
11


1 
g. Monitor the Government's compliance with its obligations in regard to the right
2 
to adequate food;
3 
h. Request the assistance of any department, bureau, office or agency in the
4 
performance of its functions;
5 
i. 
Appoint officers and employees in accordance with law; and
6 
j. 
Perform such other duties and functions as may be provided by law.
7 
The Commission shall be composed of a Chairperson and two (2) Members
8 
who must be natural-born citizens of the Philippines and, at the time of their
9 
appointment, at least thirty-five (35) years of age, and must not have been
10 
candidates for any elective position in the elections immediately preceding their
11 
appointment. At least one (1) of them must be a member of the Philippine Bar.
12 
The Chairperson and the Members of the Commission shall not, during their
13 
tenure, hold any other office or employment. Neither shall they engage in the
14 
practice of any profession, or in the active management or control of any business
15 
which, in any way, may be affected by the functions of their office, nor shall they be
16 
financially interested, directly or indirectly, in any contract with, or in any franchise
17 
or privilege granted by the government, any of its subdivisions, agencies, or
18 
instrumentalities, including government-owned or controlled corporations or their
19 
subsidiaries.
20 
The Chairperson and the Members of the Commission shall be appointed by
21 
the President and shall not be reappointed to another term. 
From among the
22 
Members, one shall serve as the Chairperson and shall hold office for ten (10) years,
23 
another Member shall be appointed as Commissioner for seven (7) years, and
24 
another shall be appointed Commissioner and shall serve for five (5) years, without
25 
reappointment. A Member who shall be appointed to fill a vacancy shall serve only
26 
the unexpired portion of the term of the predecessor. In no case will any Member be
27 
appointed or designated in a temporary or acting capacity.
28 
The Chairperson and the Members of the Commission shall receive the same
29 
salary, benefits, privileges and emoluments of a Undersecretary and Assistant
30 
Secretary, respectively.
31 
Sec. 
13. Standards on the Amount o f Food. -  The DSWD, in coordination
32 
with the local government units (LGUS) concerned, shall ensure regular, reliable and
12


1 
timely delivery of a minimum amount of food to any person who is suffering or is at
2 
risk from hunger or under nutrition. In consultations with the DSWD, DILG, NNC and
3 
the DOH, the Commission shall specify the scope of the minimum amount of food
4 
entitlement for each individual, determine the exact quantity of calories, proteins
5 
and micronutrients to which the minimum amount of food will correspond according
6 
to the age, sex, health status and occupation of a person. In addition, the
7 
Commission shall formulate a simple and accessible application or certification
8 
procedure for the minimum amount of food entitlement and transparent, fair and
9 
non-discriminatory eligibility or certification criteria.
10 
There shall likewise be established fair, independent and accessible recourse
11 
procedures to the Commission for complaints and appropriate remedies in case of a
12 
determined violation of the right to adequate food. For its part, the DSWD shall
13 
establish an appropriate monitoring and evaluation mechanism and report to the
14 
Commission on the right to food on a regular basis. The annual national
15 
appropriations law shall include a specific item allocating resources necessary for the
16 
implementation of the right to adequate food.
17 
Specific support measures, 
particularly 
needed 
by (a) 
physiologically
18 
vulnerable persons, such as persons suffering from HIV/AIDS and their families,
19 
children, pregnant women and lactating mothers, disabled persons, persons
20 
suffering from sickness or elderly; (b) geographically disadvantaged persons, such as
21 
persons living in remote and isolated, very poor or underdeveloped areas, and (c)
22 
economically vulnerable persons, such as landless people, street children, urban
23 
poor or unemployed persons, and indigenous peoples who are also identified as
24 
vulnerable groups, will be designed and adopted to prevent or compensate for
25 
disadvantages that they suffer from, in regard to the enjoyment of their right to
26 
adequate food. The Commission shall review such proposed specific support
27 
measures and, where necessary, give further guidance to ensure that all identified
28 
vulnerable groups are covered appropriately. The Commission shall adopt and
29 
develop specific support measures that are in accordance with right to food
30 
standards and human rights principles.
13


1 
Sec. 14. Emergencies. -  The Commission on the Right to Adequate Food, in
2 
coordination with the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council
3 
(NDRRMC) will have the duty to ensure that:
4 
a. Food emergency responses sufficiently cover both early warning responses and
5 
disaster preparedness in case of a crisis; and food responses are organized and
6 
managed efficiently and effectively, and are compliant with the right to
7 
adequate food and relevant international standards;
8 
b. Food supply responses are compatible with the right to adequate food and
9 
international standards regulating emergencies; and,
10 
c. Requests for international assistance are initiated in case of necessity and
11 
distribution of food to intended 
recipients is properly supervised and
12 
coordinated.
13 
Sec. 15. Information Dissemination. -  All government agencies, under the
14 
direction of the Commission on the Right to Adequate Food, in coordination with the
15 
Philippine News Agency (PNA) and Philippine Information Agency (PIA), are
16 
mandated to:
17 
a. Inform the population about the rights established in this Act and the
18 
implementing rules and regulations adopted upon its entry into force, as well as
19 
about any other measure taken for the purpose of facilitating and promoting
20 
the realization of the right to adequate food; and,
21 
b. Use the most appropriate ways and methods of disseminating information by
22 
providing information through all media forms, and in local languages, notably
23 
in the most marginalized areas and among populations with a high rate of
24 
illiteracy.
25 
Sec. 16. Education and Awareness Program. -  The Commission on the Right
26 
to Adequate Food, in coordination with the DepEd, Commission on Higher Education
27 
(CHED) and TESDA, shall ensure that:
28 
a. The school curriculum includes material related to food and nutrition education,
29 
the right to adequate food and human rights principles; and,
30 
b. Relevant adult education and training programs shall include materials related
31 
to food and nutrition, the right to adequate food and human rights principles.
14


1 
Sec. 17. International Cooperation. -  The Commission on the Right to
2 
Adequate Food, in coordination with the CHR and the Department of Foreign Affairs
3 
(DFA), shall:
4 
a. Ensure that activities undertaken in other countries, including those by private
5 
actors, do not infringe on the enjoyment of the right to adequate 
food 
by
6 
people in the concerned countries, in coordination with DA, 
DTI, DOFI and
7 
NEDA and other relevant agencies;
8 
b. Promote international cooperation and provide assistance to ensure the
9 
realization of the right to adequate food in other countries, if in a position to do
10 
so; and,
11 
c. Ensure that international 
and 
other agreements 
which 
the 
Philippine
12 
Government enters into, take into account the guarantee on the right to food.
13 
Sec. 18. 
Monitoring and Evaluation System. -  There shall be an integrated
14 
monitoring system that shall ensure that all government agencies at all levels, under
15 
the supervision of the Commission on the Right to Adequate Food, shall:
16 
a. Collect data 
related 
to food 
and 
nutrition 
security, 
using 
monitoring
17 
methodologies and processes consistent with human rights principles as
18 
established by this Act;
19 
b. Disaggregate collected data by age, sex, income, bracket, civil status and
20 
ethnicity;
21 
c. Monitor progress achieved in the realization of the right to adequate food; and,
22 
d. Establish or identify an early warning mechanism for food supply shortages and
23 
emergencies.
24 
Sec. 19. Representation and Participation o f People's Organizations and Civil
25 
Society. -  To guarantee public participation, the Commission on the Right to
26 
Adequate Food shall ensure that:
27 
a. All persons can freely and meaningfully participate in all forms of public
28 
discourse, as well as access information and exercise freedom of association, in
29 
relation to the formulation and implementation of policies pertaining to the right
30 
to adequate food;
31 
b. Civil society and other stakeholders actively participate in the institutions that
32 
oversee the realization of the right to adequate food, as well as in formulating
15


1 
capacity building mechanisms and special measures for disadvantaged groups;
2 
and,
3 
c. 
National public hearings are conducted every two (2) years, at which the
4 
Government 
is 
required 
to 
report on 
the 
progress 
made 
with 
the
5 
implementation of this Act, and the progressive realization of the right to
6 
adequate food in the country.
7 
Sec. 20. Penal Provisions. -  The penalty of prision correccional shall be
8 
imposed on any public or private actor who causes the starvation or denial of the
9 
access to food of any particular individual or group, as through the Commission of
10 
any of the following acts:
11 
a. blockade;
12 
b. refusal to implement a food-related program;
13 
c. discrimination in implementing a food-related program;
14 
d. negligence in implementing food-related programs, resulting in death;
15 
e. obstructing access to food in time of calamity or war;
16 
f. theft, corruption or black marketeering of food being given as humanitarian aid,
17 
in times of calamity or war;
18 
g. distribution of expired, or unsafe food at a school feeding program or other
19 
feeding program, in times of calamity or war;
20 
h. contamination of food or water sources, through mining activities, aerial
21 
spraying of plantations, or any other similar means; and,
22 
i. other analogous acts.
23 
Provided That, the penalty is imposable without prejudice to any other
24 
criminal, civil or administrative liability under Philippine law; Provided Further, That if
25 
the act committed is food blockade during armed conflict, the penalty imposable
26 
shall be without prejudice to the application of Republic Act No. 9851, or the
27 
"Philippine Act on Crimes against International Humanitarian Law, Genocide and
28 
Other Crimes against Humanity," and other relevant laws.
29 
Sec. 21. Civil and Administrative Liabilities. -  Any public officer or employee
30 
who directly or indirectly obstructs, defeats, violates or in any manner impedes or
31 
impairs any of a person's rights guaranteed under this Act, will be liable for
16


1 
damages. Any violation of a provision of this Act, whether committed by public or
2 
private actors, will similarly give rise to liability for damages.
3 
It is hereby declared a ministerial duty on the part of the Government to
4 
ensure the enjoyment of the rights guaranteed in this Act and to perform the duties
5 
provided for in this Act. Appropriate cases may be filed before the courts to compel
6 
compliance with the provisions of this Act. These cases shall be without prejudice to
7 
liability for damages, as well as administrative liability that may be incurred.
8 
Sec. 22. Appropriations. -  There will be an allocation in the annual budget
9 
specifically for the purposes of the implementation of the right to adequate food, in
10 
accordance with priorities set by the Commission on the Right to Adequate Food.
11 
The allocation will be aimed at the progressive realization of the right to adequate
12 
food over the long term.
13 
Sec. 23. Impiementing Rules and Regulations. -  The Commission on the Right
14 
to Adequate Food shall issue the necessary rules and regulations to implement the
15 
provisions of this Act within sixty (60) days from its effectivity. In the formulation of
16 
these rules and regulations, the Commission shall take the lead and shall coordinate
17 
with the CHR, DA, DAR, DSWD, DOH, DTI, DPWH, NEDA, NNC and NAPC, and with
18 
the active participation of people's organizations and human rights nongovernmental
19 
organizations.
20 
Sec. 24. Rationalization o f Policies. -  All existing policies, laws, decrees,
21 
executive orders, memorandum orders, memorandum circulars, administrative
22 
orders, and ordinances shall be rationalized and interpreted in a way that will
23 
guarantee the realization of the right to adequate food as provided for by this Act.
24 
Concerned cabinet secretaries and other executive authorities will report on a
25 
regular basis to the Commission on the Right to Adequate Food on legislative and
26 
regulatory measures that have been formulated and adopted, and the time frames
27 
within which they are envisaged to achieve their objectives in order to achieve zero
28 
hunger.
29 
Sec. 25. Separability Clause. -  If any part or provision of this Act is declared
30 
unconstitutional, the remainder of this Act or any provisions not affected thereby
31 
shall remain in full force and effect.
17


1 
Sec. 
26. 
Repealing 
Clause. 
-  
All 
laws, 
decrees, 
executive 
orders,
2 
memorandum orders, memorandum circulars, administrative orders, ordinances, or
3 
parts thereof, which are inconsistent with the right to adequate food and the
4 
provisions of this Act, are hereby deemed repealed or modified accordingly.
5 
Sec. 27. Effectivity. -  This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its
6 
publication in the Official Gazette or in a newspaper of general circulation.
Approved,
18