By: Nino Aclan

Senate President Pro Tempore Jinggoy Ejercito Estrada has filed a bill seeking to require food manufacturers and establishments, such as restaurants, cafes, diners, fast food chains, hotels, supermarkets, and culinary schools, to donate their excess edible food for charitable purposes.

“Nakakalungkot malaman na napakaraming pagkain ang nasasayang habang marami rin sa ating mga kababayan ang nagugutom,” Estrada said, noting the most recent Social Weather Station (SWS) survey showing an increase in the number of Filipino families experiencing involuntary hunger – 14.2 percent in March 2024 compared to 12.6 percent in December last year.

Involuntary hunger, according to the SWS, refers to experiencing hunger and not having access to food at least once in the past three months.

Figures reported by the Sustainability Solutions Exchange (SSX) under the Center for International Trade Expositions and Missions (CITEM), show 88 kilograms of food is wasted by an average Filipino every year, and more than 35 percent of food waste comes not from households but from the food service and retail sector.

Estrada’s Senate Bill No. 1644, the proposed Food Surplus Reduction Act, seeks to adopt a system to promote, facilitate, and ensure the reduction of food surplus through redistribution and recycling.

Under the bill, owners of covered establishments must segregate their edible from inedible food surplus. A duly trained sanitary inspector from the local government unit (LGU) will check and assess before approving if the edible food is fit for consumption before donating it to the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD)-accredited food banks.

The DSWD-accredited food banks will distribute the edible food surplus to those in need, in coordination with the LGUs.

The DSWD shall provide the guidelines and standards for the collection, storage, and distribution of edible food donated to food banks.

Estrada’s bill includes a provision creating a self-sufficiency program for the intended beneficiaries to have skills training in managing food banks and livelihood programs to avoid dependency on donations.

Also, a liability protection clause is included to protect food donors from possible abuses and encourage donations.

Food-related business owners are liable only while they possess the food surplus. Once the donation reaches accredited food banks, they are exempt from any liability or injury related to it.

The reselling of donated food is strictly prohibited, Estrada said, adding that those caught will face a penalty of prison mayor and those who would cause edible food surplus to unfit for human consumption will be slapped with a fine ranging from P1 million to P5 million.

SB 1644 also mandates a National Zero Food Waste Campaign to raise awareness of the impact of food surplus and strategies to decrease wasted food at the household level.

“The reduction of food waste will not only address the food shortage in the country, including the international community but also mitigate the various environmental concerns. These concerns include adverse effects such as the production of methane gas, greenhouse gases, and contributions to climate change,” the senator said.