(UPDATE) THE House of Representatives has approved two bills on food donations and food security.
House Bill (HB) 8043, a bill that aims to cut food surplus through donations, passed on third and final reading last Tuesday with over 240 lawmakers voting for it.
The bill covers food manufacturers, restaurants, cafés, diners, fast-food chains, hotels, supermarkets with at least 500 square meters of selling space, culinary schools with at least 50 students and similar businesses as may be determined in the implementing rules.
It requires the establishments to segregate “edible and inedible food surplus,” and donate them to accredited food banks designated by the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD).
Local government health inspectors will certify if the donation is fit for consumption.
The DSWD will identify “food-insecure” persons or groups in coordination with local government units.
Also on Tuesday, the House approved HB 8042, which sought to make Oct. 16 of every year National Food Security Day. The bill hurdled third and final reading with over 240 lawmakers voting for its passage.
National Food Security will be a special working day. The Department of Agriculture (DA) will lead the yearly observance in coordination with the Department of Education, Commission on Higher Education, Department of the Interior and Local Government, National Nutrition Council, “and other relevant agencies.”
The DA will design activities, programs and information campaigns that highlight food security and self-sufficiency, sustainable agricultural practices, food waste reduction, nutrition awareness, and the role of farmers, fisherfolk and other food system stakeholders.