Agenda Item 4.1	Conference Room Document 16 English only

second fao/who global forum of food safety regulators

Bangkok, Thailand, 12-14 October 2004

Defining the Responsibilities and Tasks of Different Stakeholders within the Framework of a National Strategy

(Prepared by the Philippines)

Introduction

Currently, there is no nationally coordinated programme on food safety although there were initiatives made in the past. In March 13, 1999, Executive Order No. 86 was issued creating the National Food Security Council which is tasked to act as overall coordinating body in the formulation of policy guidelines, master plans and programmes, as well as in the implementation of projects that ensure the attainment of a workable and sustainable Food Security Programme. Recognizing the inherent link between food security and food safety, the National Food Safety Committee was created to formulate food safety policies and plan of action represented by the Department of Health, Department of Agriculture, Department of Science and Technology and the academia. However, this committee did not become fully operational and individual departments in government had implemented food safety programmes within their own jurisdictions.

Responsibilities and Tasks of Different Stakeholders within the Framework of a National Strategy

Since 2003, the Department of Health has been enjoining the participation of other concerned agencies to coordinate and integrate their activities in a National Food Safety Programme leading to an effective and comprehensive food control system. Efforts were made to organize an effective mechanism to enforce food control systems. This resulted in the evolution of the “Philippine Food Safety Framework,” in collaboration primarily with the Department of Agriculture which is still being laid out at the moment. There are four components within the framework namely, Farm and Aquaculture which includes animals, fish, plants, and their by-products; the Food Industry which includes the food manufacturers, distributors and food outlets; Food Service, which covers restaurants, caterers and street foods; and Household Food Consumption which is primarily concerned with the consumers. These four components work on the safety assessment processes utilizing the different regulatory tools that involve licensing, accreditation, inspection, investigation, monitoring, surveillance, research and management processes utilizing training, and disease management depending on the areas of concern of each component (please refer to Annex 1 Philippine Food Safety Framework).

Linkages/collaboration with other government and non-government agencies, the academia, the local government units and other organizations will provide mechanisms for policy development, capability building, resource mobilization, research, monitoring and evaluation. These agencies also take responsibilities in achieving their goal of providing the consumers with total health protection and the reduction of the risk of food and waterborne diseases. These are the roles of the major agencies involved in ensuring safe food:

The Department of Agriculture (DA) through its different bureaus/services listed below, ensures not only security in food but also assures safety food from the farm, the safe use of pesticides, drugs and feeds and control of food and animal disease. This covers the whole production and harvesting within the chain.

• National Dairy Authority (NDA) – for pasteurized milk
• National Food Authority (NFA) – grains
• National Meat Inspection Commission (NMIC) – fresh & frozen meat products
• Philippine Coconut Authority (PCA) – coconut products
• Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA) – sugar and sugar by-products
• Bureau of Plant Industry (BPI) – plant and plant health
• Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI) – animals and animal health
• Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) – fish and fishery products
• Bureau of Agriculture Fisheries and Product Standards (BAFPS) – establishment of product standards

The Department of Trade and Industry oversees the safety of food in trade and protects consumers from unsafe food during transport, trading and merchandising activities.

The Department of Science and Technology assists in the conduct of researches to improve the food processing technologies.

The Department of Interior and Local Government is also responsible for food safety implementation as well as food handler’s training in the local government units.

The academia, non-government organizations and consumers’ organizations also play important roles in the promotion of safe and quality food. The academia conducts researches on the causes and transmission of food borne illnesses, help in education, treatment and prevention of food borne illnesses. With the promulgation of The Consumer’s Act of the Philippines (Republic Act 7394), a National Consumers Affair Count (NCAC) was created bringing together a well-organized team from the aforementioned departments of government, representatives from the private sector, NGOs, consumer advocates and business leaders. The team brought about greater coordination of consumer policies and programmes, recommended new policies and legislation or amendments to those existing, monitored and evaluated implementation of consumer programmes and undertook consumer education and information campaign. This coordination resulted in a more vigilant and effective enforcement of fair trade laws and facilitated the resolution of consumer complaints.

Responsive to the need to improve the current food safety measures in the Philippines, the Department of Health (DOH), taking on its mission of “ensuring accessibility and quality of health care to improve the quality of life of all Filipinos” has created an internal coordination mechanism through the DOH Food Safety Committee through Department Order 42 G (March 3, 2002) with the Bureau of Food and Drugs (BFAD) as the lead agency. The committee is geared towards the guarantee of adequate, safe, quality and affordable food for public health protection as well as trade development. The committee takes the role of the coordinating body within the Department that may be called upon on food safety issues. It shall address issues in safety control using a Farm to Plate Approach in order to assure human health and consumer protection. This will ensure that only safe and nutritious food will reach the consumer through the following objectives:

• To formulate policies, standards and guidelines on food safety.
• To establish and implement a programme to reduce food and waterborne illnesses.
• To ensure the delivery of services, information and training to priority vulnerable groups particularly the children and families in identified areas of concern.
• To strengthen the food surveillance system of BFAD with RITM and NEC.
• To develop a central information system that would link the various databases of all involved DOH offices.
• To strengthen the technical capability of Food Safety Inspection Activities (to include Sanitation) from the regional level down to the local government units through a multisectoral, integrated and coordinated national food safety control system.
• To increase the level of awareness of the general public and establish partnerships between industry and consumers on food safety.

Please refer to Annex 2 for the organizational structure of the DOH Food Safety Committee which includes the following agencies as members:

• Bureau of Food and Drugs (BFAD) – quality control for processed food
• Bureau of Quarantine and International Health Surveillance (BIQHS) – regulation & monitoring of international flight caterers and food service establishments within the area of jurisdiction at ports and airports, both domestic and international
• National Center for Disease Prevention and Control (NCDPC) – promotion of food safety among establishments & environmental sanitation & personal hygiene
• National Epidemiology Center (NEC) – surveillance of food and waterborne diseases
• Research Institute for Tropical Medicine (RITM) – laboratory surveillance of food borne illnesses
• National Center for Health Promotion (NCHP) – development of information, education, campaign materials and advocacy strategies

In order to better achieve its objectives, the following strategies were proposed during the “Food Safety and Codex for Consumer Seminar Workshop,” participated in by different regulatory agencies of the Department of Health, Department of Agriculture, Industry, Academia, Consumers and local government units.

• Enhancement of laboratory facilities
• Enhancement of Food and Waterborne Disease Surveillance System.
• Development of Training Programmes for Consumer Awareness
• Institutionalization of a sustainable mechanism for integrated food safety activities within DOH

Conclusions

Departmentalized food safety programmes exist in the Philippines. Although these departmentalized programmes are functional, there is a perceived need for an operational nationally coordinated programme on food safety to achieve a more integrated and effective food control system. The implementation of the programme needs an effective food inspection, regulatory, and monitoring system that provides well-resourced and competent inspection authorities to ensure food safety from production to consumption.

Annex 1. Philippine Food Safety Framework

Annex 2. Organizational Structure of DOH Food Safety Committee

Definition of Acronyms Used

BAI Bureau of Animal Industry
BEE Bureau of Elementary Education
BFAD Bureau of Food and Drugs
BAFPS Bureau of Agriculture Fisheries and Product Standards
BFAR Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources
BPI Bureau of Plant Industry
BQIHS Bureau of Quarantine and International Health Surveillance
BSE Bureau of Secondary Education
CHD Center for Health Development
DA Department of Agriculture
Dep Ed Department of Education
DOH Department of Health
DOST Department of Science and Technology
FPA Fertilizer and Pesticide Authority
FNRI Food and Nutrition Research Institute
LGU Local Government Unit
NCHF National Center for Health Facilities
NCHP National Center for Health Promotion
NCPDC National Center for Disease Prevention and Control
NEC National Epidemiology Center
NFA National Food Authority
NMIC National Meat Inspection Commission
NPAL National Plant and Animal Laboratory
PCA Philippine Coconut Authority
PIA Philippine Information Agency
RITM Research Institute for Tropical Medicine
SRA Sugar Regulatory Administration
TESDA Technical Education and Skills Development Authority