FIFTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE REPUBLIC 
) 
OF THE PHILIPPINES 
) 
First Regular Session 
) 
SEN~Ifi.,. 
S.No. 
~~o7 
f'i,,_"" 
,V, 
~,-
Introduced by Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
International and local medical researches have shown that a high dietary intake of 
saturated fat can lead to increased serum cholesterol levels which, in turn, can lead to Coronary 
, 
Heart Disease (CHD). CHD is a killer disease in the Philippines and the number one killer 
disease in America. To decrease the risk of acquiring the disease, private and public studies by 
experts in the fields of medicine and nutrition unanimously support the conclusion that the 
people should know how much fat, particularly saturated fat, they consume and should guard 
against too much consumption of fat in general and saturated fat in particular. 
Republic Act No. 7394 or the "Consumer Act of the Philippines," Articles 77 and 84 
provides for the minimum labeling requirements for consumer products and additional labeling 
requirements for food, respectively. However, these provisions on labeling requirements do not 
expressly require information on the fat and cholesterol content of foods. Thus, not all consumer 
food products contain such information. This bill therefore seeks to provide consumers with 
more information on the fat and cholesterol content of foods through improved labeling.' 
• This bill was originally filed during the Thirteenth Congress, First Regular Session. 
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FIFTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE REPUBLIC 
) 
OF THE PHILIPPINES 
) 
First Regular Session 
) 
SEN~W 
S.No. 
1~57 
Introduced by Senator Miriam Defensor Santia~::C;: 1\1 '"' j HV#: . 
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AN ACT 
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PRESCRIBING LABELING REQUIREMENTS FOR FOODS WHICH CONTAINS 
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SATURATED FAT AND CHOLESTEROL 
Be it enacted by the Senate and the House of Representatives of the Philippines in 
Congress assembled: 
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SECTION 1. Short Title. - This Act shall be known as the. "Low Cholesterol Consnmer 
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Education Act." 
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SECTION 2. Declaration of Policy. - It is the policy of the State to protect the interests of 
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the consumer, promote his general welfare and to establish standards of conduct for business and 
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industry. Towards this end, the State shall implement measures to achieve the following 
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objectives: 
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(A) Protection against hazards to health and safety; and 
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(B) p,rovision of information and education to facilitate sound choice and the proper 
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exercise oCrights by the consumer; The State shall therefore, enforce compulsory labeling and 
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lair packaging to enable the consumer to obtain accurate information as to the nature, quality and 
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quantity of the contents of consumer products and to facilitate hisl her comparison oi tbe value of 
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such products. 
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SECTION 3. Definition of Terms. -For purposes of this Act, the term: 
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(A) "Saturated Fat" refers to that type of fat with single covalent bonds between the 
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carbons of its fatty acids, which molecule's available bonding sites are entirely filled with 
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hydrogen atoms. It is solid at room temperature and is found in foods from animal meats and 
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skin, dairy products and some vegetables; 
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(B) "Cholesterol" means the sterol found in animal tissue m combination with 
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triglycerides and protein-bound phospholipids. It is a precursor to the formation of the Low 
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Density Lipoprotein (LDL), high levels of which in the blood, leads to coronary heart disease. 
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(C) "Label" or "labeling" means the display of written, printed or graphic matter on any 
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consumer product or its immediate container, tag, literature or other suitable material affixed 
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thereto for the purpose of giving information as to identity, components, ingredients, attributes, 
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directions for use, specifications and such other information as may be required by law or 
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regulations; and 
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(D) "Standards" means to a set of conditions to be fulfilled to ensure the quality and 
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safety of a product. 
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SECTION 4. Standards. - Not later than one hundred eighty (180) days after the date of 
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the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Health shall establish and publish the following: 
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(A) Standards for the recommended maximum daily levels of total fat, total saturated fat, 
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and cholesterol in total dietary intake, expressed as a percentage of calories from fat and total 
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grams offat, and 
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(B) Relevant and appropriate standards for determining servIce sIzes of foods for 
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purposes of enabling consumers to make comparisons of fat content contained in similar or like 
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products. 
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SECTION 5. Labeling. - The Department of Health shall impose an additional labeling 
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requirement for food which specifically shows: 
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(A) Saturated fat content; and 
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(B) Cholesterol content. 
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SECTION 6. Prohibited Acts on Labeling. - It shall be unlawful for any person, either as 
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principal or agent, engaged in the labeling or packaging of any food consumer product, to 
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display or distribute or to cause to be displayed or distributed in commerce, any food consumer 
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product whose label does not conform to the provisions of this Act. 
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SECTION 7. Penalties. -Any person who shall violate the provisions of this Act shall be 
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subject to a fine of not less than One Thousand Pesos (Pl,OOO.OO) but not more than Twenty 
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Thousand Pesos (P20,000.00) or imprisonment of not less than six (6) months but not more than 
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four (4) years or both, at the discretion ofthe court. 
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SECTION 8. Separability Clause. - If any provision or part hereof, is held invalid or 
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unconstitutional, the remainder of the law or the provision not otherwise affected shall remain 
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valid and subsisting. 
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SECTION 9. Repealing Clause. - Any law, presidential decree or issuance, executive 
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order, letter of instruction, administrative order, rule or regulation contrary to or is inconsistent 
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with the provision of this Act is hereby repealed, modified, or amended accordingly. 
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SECTION 10. Effectivity Clause. - This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its 
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publication in at least two (2) newspapers of general circulation. 
Approved, 
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