A Mindanao lawmaker on Friday urged Congress to pass a law directing all restaurants, hotels, supermarkets, fast food chains and other similar food establishments to donate all surplus or leftover but still edible foods to charitable institutions or foundations for the consumption of needy people.
Rep. Mary Elizabeth Ty Delgado of Surigao del Sur, said her proposal will ensure that no food will be wasted and that the problem of hunger will be addressed.
Delgado, author of House Bill 6511 filed during the 16th Congress which will end on June 30, said the Constitution mandates the State to implement measures that would alleviate national poverty and reduce food wastage. The bill was referred to the House Committee on Trade and Industry.
She cited a law passed in the French Parliament banning supermarket and other food establishments from throwing away or destroying unsold food. They were mandated instead to donate left over or unsold food to charities.
“Poverty incidence in the country is high and causes malnutrition among many Filipinos. Many people in our country are malnourished because they do not have money to buy food for themselves and for their family,” Delgado said.
She said one of the causes of poverty is unequal distribution of income. Other causes of poverty are lack of quality education, lack of jobs, corruption, natural calamities and over population.
“The effect of poverty is malnutrition. Majority of Filipinos who experience financial difficulties in purchasing food are now settling for cheaper but less nutritious food. Even relief centers are giving these kinds of foods,” Delgado stressed.
She said that it was the strict practice of the country’s food industry, restaurants, hotels and other food establishments to dispose of excess food after a specified period of time even though the food is still safe for human consumption the following day.
“With this bill, surplus foods will be made use of as it will be mandatory for all restaurants and the like to donate their surplus foods which are still edible, to charitable institutions and foundations who will in turn distribute them to needy people,” Delgado said.
She said that under the Mandatory food Surplus Donation Act of 2016 she authored, donors will be immune from suit.
To ensure effective and sustained inter-agency and multi-sectoral coordination, all charitable institutions and foundations shall be accredited with the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD).
The DSWD shall serve as the main accreditation agency together with the Philippine Red Cross as auxiliary for the implementation of the proposed bill.
All supermarkets, restaurants, hotels, fast food chains and other food establishments shall not be subject of any civil or criminal liability arising from the nature, age, packaging or condition of apparently edible food that were donated in good faith for charitable purposes.
