NINETEENTH CONGRESS OF THE ) 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES )
First Regular Session 
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SENATE 
Senate Bill No. 977
of tl)f i&ffrerar^
■22 AUG-1 P2S7
RECEIVED BY:
Introduced by Senator Aquilino uKoko” Pimentel III
AN ACT PROTECTING INDIVIDUALS ENGAGED IN FOOD, 
GROCERY, AND PHARMACY DELIVERY SERVICES
EXPLANATORY NOTE
The internet is a lifeline. Access to it is a basic necessity in this 
day and age. Our experience during the pandemic has shown us a more 
convenient way of purchasing goods. We would now rather order 
online some, if not all, of our needs like food, groceries, and medicines.
Technology, like the internet, has made our lives more 
convenient. However, the ‘‘convenience” that is brought by technology 
and the internet is a double-edged sword. The internet has been the 
avenue for both legitimate business and illegitimate transactions like 
scams and other fraud. One form of abuse and misuse of the internet is 
the rampant fraudulent schemes being done by people who avail of 
online delivery services.
It is of public knowledge that even Senator Sherwin Gatchalian 
was a victim of an online delivery scam where his credit card was used 
to purchase various items without his consent. Also quite alarming are 
the many incidents of fake booking and hoax orders. One of the several 
cases involves a student who was surprised to see several delivery 
riders at his Quezon City home after Phpl5,000 worth of food items


were supposedly ordered under his name but somebody else did it 
without his knowledge and consent.1
We are sad for these victims. We are mad for these people whose 
names and identities have been used for fraud or simply for the 
enjoyment of the perpetrator. This measure under consideration is for 
them, but not only for them.
There are other victims in this situation - the online delivery 
drivers or riders. Nagtatrabaho sila ng maayos sa gitna ng pandemya, 
sa panahon ng kalamidad, at sa kabila ngpanganib sa daan. Yung iba 
ay inaabot pa ng madaling araw sa lansangan upang kumita, kahit 
umuulan pa. They work tirelessly to cater to customers but are they 
being taken care of under our present laws?
In light of the rising cases of unjust order cancellations and hoax 
orders, there is an urgent need for the State to protect delivery drivers 
and riders of all food, grocery, and pharmacy delivery services. This 
measure is relevant even after the pandemic because the internet has 
made all of us accustomed to online transactions and made many of us 
reliant on delivery services.
In view of the foregoing, the immediate passage of this bill is 
earnestly sought.
<6KOKO” PIMENTEL III
1 Retrieved from: https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1415991/nbi-urged-to-probe-take-bookings- 
victimizing-food-delivery-riders#ixzz73mmN6w77.


NINETEENTH CONGRESS OF THE 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES
First Regular Session
)
SENATE 
Senate Bill No. 977
rc;;! Senate
of !i,t ®tttttari’
•22 WlG-1 P2S7
RlXElVtD BY:
Introduced by Senator Aqiiilino uKoko” Pimentel III
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AN ACT PROTECTING INDIVIDUALS ENGAGED IN FOOD, 
GROCERY, AND PHARMACY DELIVERY SERVICES
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in 
Congress assembled:
SECTION 1. Short Title. - This Act shall be known as “Food, 
Grocery, and Pharmacy Delivery Services Protection Act
SEC. 2. Definition of Terms. - For purposes of this Act, these 
terms are defined as follows:
(a) 
Food, Grocery, and Pharmacy Delivery Service - a form of 
courier or delivery service where a person through mobile 
phone application, internet website or any similar platform, 
orders food, grocery or pharmaceutical items from a third- 
party seller and engages the service of a rider or driver for 
the delivery of the said order for a fee;
(b) 
Food, Groceiy, and Pharmacy Delivery Service Providers - 
persons or entities who are engaged in the business of 
providing food, grocery, or pharmacy delivery services by 
way of mobile phone applications, internet websites or other 
similar platforms;


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(c) Delivery Riders or Drivers - persons who perform delivery
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services by picking up the ordered items from the third-party
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seller, and delivering the items to the customers who avail
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of the service, regardless of the existing contractual
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relationship with the service providers;
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(d) Confirmed Order - there shall be a confirmed order once the
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customer sends his confirmation to the delivery rider or
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driver with respect to the order for the purchase of food,
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grocery and/or pharmaceutical items.
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SEC. 3. Prohibition Against Advance Payment - It shall be
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prohibited for any food, grocery, and pharmacy delivery service
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provider to require delivery riders or drivers to advance any monetary
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amount for the fulfillment of orders.
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In case of cancellation of confirmed orders, the food, grocery, and
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pharmacy delivery service provider shall still pay the delivery riders or
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drivers for the service fee due them as if the transaction was successful.
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Service providers shall pursue claims for collection from its
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cancelling customers.
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Any investigation or inquiry conducted by the service providers
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on the propriety or validity of the cancellation shall not affect the right
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of the riders or drivers to collect their respective service fee as provided
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under this Section.
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Any food, grocery, and pharmacy delivery service provider who
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shall be found to be in violation of the prohibition on requiring
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monetary advances from delivery riders or drivers shall suffer the
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penalty of arresto mayor and/or fine of an amount not exceeding One
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Hundred Thousand Pesos (Php 100,000.00) and the business licenses
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and permits of said violator shall be revoked. This is without prejudice
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to any other available remedies under existing laws.
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If the violation is committed by a corporation, partnership,
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association, or any other kind of business entity that may be created by


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operation of law, the penalty provided in the next preceding paragraph
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shall be imposed upon its president, director, partner or any responsible
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officer that authorized monetary advances to be required.
SEC. 4. Know-Your-Customer Rules for Food, Grocery, and 
Pharmacy Delivery Service. — The service providers shall require its 
customers, prior to the registration with their mobile phone 
applications, internet websites or other similar platforms, to submit a 
valid proof of identity and residential address. Procedures for 
verification of identity shall likewise be implemented by the service 
providers. The processing of personal information done in accordance 
with this Section shall be fully complaint with the requirements of 
Republic Act No. 10173, otherwise known as the "Data Privacy Act of 
2012\
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SEC. 5. Prohibited Acts. -
(a) Using Another Person’s Personal Information - It shall be 
unlawful for any person to use the personal information of 
another such as but not limited to name, address, and contact 
number when registering for any food, grocery, and 
pharmacy delivery service;
(b) Cancellation of Confirmed Orders - It shall be unlawful for 
any person to cancel a confirmed order unless such option is 
specifically allowed by the food, grocery, and pharmacy 
delivery service hired.
(c) Placing of Hoax Order - It shall be unlawful for any person 
to: (1) place an order under the name of another unless the 
latter consented to the same; (2) place an order using 
fictitious name, address or both; and
(d) Refusal to Receive Unpaid Order — It shall be unlawful for 
any person to unjustly refuse to receive an order when such


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order has been placed by him personally or if the order is 
placed by virtue of his authority.
Any person who shall commit any of the prohibited acts as 
provided for in this Section shall suffer the penalty of arresto mayor 
and/or fine of an amount not exceeding One Hundred Thousand Pesos 
(Phpl00,000.00) without prejudice to any other available remedies 
under existing laws.
SEC. 6. Separability Clause. - Should any provision or part of 
this Act be declared unconstitutional or invalid, the other provisions 
and parts hereof, insofar as they are separable from the invalid ones, 
shall remain in full force and effect.
SEC. 7. Repealing Clause. - All laws, decrees, orders, 
proclamations, rules and regulations, or parts thereof, which are 
inconsistent with this Act are hereby repealed, amended, or modified 
accordingly.
SEC. 8. Effectivity. - This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days 
after its publication in the Ojficial Gazette or in at least two (2) 
newspapers of general circulation.
Approved,