Republic of the Philippines 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
Quezon City 
NINETEENTH CONGRESS 
First Regular Session 
HOUSE BILL NO. _______ 
Introduced by HON. GUS S. TAMBUNTING 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
With the onslaught of the COVID-19 pandemic, online shopping has become the new 
normal for buying various goods and products, including food and groceries. As we enter 
a new normal, food and grocery deliveries are increasingly becoming a popular and 
preferred way of shopping for households as they offer the ease of buying food without 
leaving the safety of their homes.   
In most of these food and grocery deliveries such as GrabMart, GrabFood, Angkas Pabili 
and other similar services, consumers order food or groceries through an application or 
website, and delivery riders purchase and deliver the orders to consumers’ doorsteps for 
a fixed delivery fee. Thus, the food and grocery delivery sector not only offers consumers 
a safe and convenient way of shopping but also gives riders and drivers from ride-hailing 
apps the opportunity to earn since ride-hailing services such as motorcycle taxis are not 
allowed to operate yet.  
Most of these food and grocery delivery services operate on a reimbursement basis 
wherein a delivery rider will have to cover the cost of the transaction and be reimbursed 
by the customers after they deliver the goods. Food and grocery delivery service 
providers usually offer cash-on-delivery as a payment scheme, which leaves delivery 
riders vulnerable to fraudulent schemes such as unreasonable cancellation of orders after 
the rider has already paid for the orders and/or in possession of the order, giving out 
wrong delivery addresses and other pranks.  
As it is, there currently are pages and groups on social media devoted to helping delivery 
riders who have been victimized by such activities or pranks. In these groups, delivery 
riders sell items that are already in their possession but were not received by their 
customers, usually without charging a delivery fee. This is so they could regain the money 
which they need to cover future transactions. These activities are extremely burdensome 
to the delivery riders as it wastes their time (with the original transaction and the 
succeeding transaction wherein they would have to look for potential takers of the 
unreceived items) and they lose capital to engage in further transactions.  
September 5, 2022
9:03 am
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In such a time where staying at home is a privilege, we acknowledge and salute the 
people whose hard work makes staying at home possible. More importantly, we must find 
ways to protect these people. 
 
It is in this light, that this measure aims to protect delivery riders from such inconveniences 
by penalizing unreasonable cancellation of confirmed orders that have already been paid 
for by the delivery riders. This bill also requires service providers to reimburse delivery 
riders the amount covering the canceled order, plus the delivery fee for the transaction.  
 
On behalf of the people of Parañaque City’s Second District, and for the common good 
of the Filipino people, the approval of the said measure is earnestly sought. 
 
 
 
 
REP. GUS S. TAMBUNTING 
2nd District, Parañaque City 
 
 


Republic of the Philippines 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
Quezon City 
NINETEENTH CONGRESS 
First Regular Session 
HOUSE BILL NO. _______ 
Introduced by HON. GUS S. TAMBUNTING 
AN ACT PROVIDING PROTECTION TO INDIVIDUALS ENGAGED IN THE FOOD 
AND GROCERY 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 and Grocery Delivery 
Services Protection Act. 
SEC. 2. Definition of Terms. – Whenever used in this Act, the following terms shall have 
the respective meanings hereafter set forth: 
a) Food and Grocery Delivery Services – Services where the service provider
buys food and grocery items from a third party seller and advance the payment
for said purchase for a fee;
b) Food and Grocery Delivery Service Providers – persons or entities who are
engaged in the business of food and grocery services by way of mobile phone
applications, internet webpages, or similar platforms. Online marketplace are
expressly excluded from the foregoing definition;
c) Delivery Riders – persons who directly advance and deliver food and/ or
grocery items on behalf of the Food and Grocery Delivery Service Providers
and in favor of Customers;
d) Customers – any person, individual, group of individuals, business
establishment, partnership, association, and corporation availing the services
of Food and Grocery Delivery Services under their name or through another
person for their benefit; and
e) Confirmed Order – There shall be a confirmed order once the Customer sent
his confirmation to the Delivery Rider concerning the order for the purchase of
food and/ or grocery items.
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SEC. 3. Prohibited Acts. – The below-listed acts are expressly prohibited, as follows: 
 
a) Unless otherwise provided in this Act, it shall be unlawful for any Customer to 
cancel confirmed orders for the delivery of food and/ or grocery items when the 
said items have already been paid by or are already in the possession of the 
Delivery Rider or otherwise is in transit to the Customer. This also covers instances 
wherein Customers order food and/ or grocery items for pranking or those who 
have no genuine intention of availing of the service which causes damage and 
undue duress to the Delivery Riders and their corresponding Service Providers; 
and 
 
b) It shall be unlawful for any Customer to shame, demean, embarrass, or humiliate 
the Delivery Riders across any platform. 
 
SEC. 4. Exception. – The following shall be considered as exemptions from the 
prohibited cancellation of confirmed orders mentioned in Section 3, Paragraph (a), as 
follows: 
 
a) When the Customer uses credit card services as a mode of reimbursement and 
payment and any such reimbursement and payment will still be credited to the 
Food and Grocery Delivery Service Provider notwithstanding the cancellation; 
 
b) The Customer remits to the Food and Delivery Service Provider any such 
reimbursement and payment as a pre-condition for the cancellation of the order; 
and 
 
c) The delivery of ordered food or grocery items will be or was delayed for at least 
one (1) hour from the expected time of arrival given by the Delivery Rider upon 
confirmation of order except when the Customer was previously notified by the 
Delivery Rider or the Service Provider of the impending delay and such delay was 
not caused by the fault or negligence of the Delivery Rider. 
 
SEC. 5. Penalties. – Violation of the prohibited acts under Section 3 shall be accorded 
the below-listed penalties, to wit: 
 
a) Violation of Section 3, Paragraph (a) herein mentioned shall result in a penalty of 
Prision Correccional in its medium period. The violator shall likewise be liable for 
a fine ranging from Fifty Thousand Pesos to One Hundred Thousand Pesos. The 
violator shall likewise reimburse the Food and Delivery Service Providers for the 
value of the food and grocery items advanced by the Delivery Rider and be made 
to pay said Food and Grocery Deliver Service Provider an amount of money double 
the fee about the canceled transaction; and 
 
b) Violation of Section 3, paragraph (b) herein mentioned shall result in a penalty of 
Arresto Mayor in its maximum period. 


 
SEC. 6. Application of other Laws. – All prohibited acts defined and penalized by this 
Act, if committed by, through, and with the use of information and communications 
technologies shall be covered by the relevant provisions of R.A. 10175 also known as the 
Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012. Therefore, the penalty to be imposed shall be one 
(1) degree higher than that provided for in this Bill.  
 
SEC. 7. Role of Food and Grocery Delivery Services Providers. – In case of violation 
of this Act, the Service Provider shall reimburse the Delivery Riders for all amounts of 
money advanced by the Delivery Riders resulting from the canceled order, plus the 
delivery fee, within twenty-four (24) hours from the unlawful cancellation by way of bank 
deposit or such other acceptable fund transfer mechanism. Violation of this role shall 
render the Food and Grocery Services Provider liable to the Delivery Rider for a penalty 
of Five Thousand Pesos. This penalty shall be in addition to whatever penalty to be 
imposed by the applicable regulatory agency.  
 
SEC. 8. Mandatory requirement for proof of identity and residential address. – The 
Food and Delivery Service Provider shall require its Customers, before registration with 
the applicable mobile phone applications, internet webpages, or similar platforms, to 
submit a valid proof of identity and residential address or proof of billing. It shall likewise 
endeavor to verify the identity of the customer through video call verification. Violation of 
this role shall render the Food and Grocery Services provider liable for a fine of One 
Million Pesos per violation. This penalty shall be in addition to whatever penalty to be 
imposed by the applicable regulatory agency.  
The Food and Grocery Delivery Service Providers shall also be required to comply with 
the pertinent provisions of the Data Privacy Act of 2012 before processing the personal 
information of the Customers for their database. Any violation of the Data Privacy Act 
shall be dealt with by the National Privacy Commission in its instance.  
 
SEC. 9. Separability Clause. – If any of the sections or provisions of this Act is held 
invalid, all other provisions not affected thereby shall remain valid.  
 
SEC. 10. Repealing Clause. – All laws, orders, issuances, rules, and regulations or parts 
thereof inconsistent with this Act are hereby repealed, amended, or modified accordingly.  
 
SEC. 11. Effectivity. – This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its publication in 
the Official Gazette or a newspaper of general circulation.  
 
Approved,