Recognizing the Pressing Need for Legislative Action to Ensure Food Security and Nutrition

MANILA, Philippines – More than 50 representatives from civil society organizations (CSOs), people’s organizations (POs), international NGOs, government agencies, and the legislative branch gathered for a forum on food security and nutrition last March 26 in Manila.

Organized by the Asian NGO Coalition for Agrarian Reform and Rural Development (ANGOC), the Philippine Office of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations, the FAO Legislative Advisory Group (FLAG-PH), and the Catholic Media Network (CMN), the forum, “Pagkain para sa Lahat: A Public Forum on Food Security and Nutrition Legislative Agenda,” held at the Illustrado Restaurant in Intramuros, Manila discussed updates on Philippine legislation related to food security and nutrition (FSN).

FLAG-PH is an alliance of elected legislators in the Philippines working towards specific legislative and policy measures to ensure freedom from hunger.

Three legislators represented the Philippine House of Representatives (Lower House of Congress) and shared their experiences and advocacies with regard to FSN. Representative Bernadette “BH” Herrera-Dy from Bagong Henerasyon Party List, interim chairperson of FLAG-PH, shared her experiences from the Global Parliamentary Summit against Hunger and Malnutrition she attended in Spain, and expounded on the recently-enacted “First 1000 Days” law (RA 11148, Kalusugan at Nutrisyon ng Mag-Nanay Act), which she is among the authors of.

Representative Rodante Marcoleta of SAGIP Party List gave his inputs on the challenges of pursuing legislation related to food security. He also gave importance to smallholder farming as a solution to the country’s food security concerns.

Representative Teodoro “Teddy” Brawner Baguilat Jr. of the Lone District of Ifugao province shared his experiences in pursuing social-justice based legislation, such as the National Land Use Act (NLUA) (HB 5240), which he filed during the three terms he was in Congress. He shared to the gathering that while the process can be frustrating and fraught with compromise, he still holds hope that the NLUA and other like-minded legislation will be passed in the future.

(Click here for a policy brief on the NLUA)

Two incumbent Senators, FLAG-PH member Juan Edgardo “Sonny” Angara, and Senator Paolo Benigno “Bam” Aquino also provided their inputs to the Forum. Through a speech delivered by Atty. Patrick Velez, Senator Angara briefly discussed his FSN legislative agenda, including the Right to Adequate Food Framework Bill (SB 1701). Meanwhile, Senator Aquino explained through video the Zero Food Waste Bill (SB 357).

Two senior staff from the Senate and House of Representatives shared the state of food security and nutrition legislation in the Philippines. Merwin Salazar, executive director of the Senate Economic Planning Office (SEPO) and Manuel Aquino, executive director of the HoR’s Socio-Economic Research Bureau (SERB) under the  Congressional Policy and Budget Research Department (CPBRD), shared enacted and proposed legislations related to food security and nutrition, and at which stages selected bills are in both houses this 17^th Congress. They called on the participants to give their inputs to the upcoming planning activity of both houses for legislations to be given priority in the next Congress.

Representatives from the FAO Regional and Philippine offices exhorted the gathering to continue their initiatives to move forward the FSN agenda.

The forum was facilitated by Fr. Francis Lucas, chairman emeritus of ANGOC and CMN chairman, and Atty. Patrick Velez, FAO partnership expert for parliamentary alliance. #

Related links:

• TV Maria partial video coverage: PART 1 | PART 2

Catholic Media Network article: FLAG-PH, legislators conduct Public Forum on Food Security and Nutrition Legislative Agenda