THIRTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE REPUBLIC) 
OF THE PHILIPPINES 
1 
First Regular Session 
1 
*04 AUG 10 P 4  3 4  
S. B. No. sENA3%90 
I IECE WE13 kV : - .@ 
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Introduced by Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
The Constitution, Article 2, Section 15, provides: 
The States shall protect and promote the right to health of the people and instill 
health consciousness among them. 
Consumers have the right to know the country of origin of the purchase. However, there is no 
law requiring that imported agricultural commodities offered for retail sale bear a label identify their 
country of origin. 
The label that identifies the perishable agricultural commodities' country of origin would 
enable the consumers to make decisions about food safety concerns, or if they have concerns about 
pesticide, or environmental practices in specific countries. 
This bill seeks to require country-of-origin labeling of perishable agricultural commodities 
imported into the Philippines and to establish penalties for violations of the labeling requirements. 


THIRTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE REPUBLIC) 
First Regular Session 
OF THE PHILIPPINES 
1 
1 
”[)4 
AIJG 10 Pd 3 4  
S. B. No. sENAl.%@O 
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Introduced by Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago 
AN ACT 
TO REQUIRE COUNTRY OF ORIGIN LABELING OF PERISHABLE AGRICULTURAL 
COMMODITIES IMPORTED INTO THE PHILIPPINES AND TO ESTABLISH PENALTIES FOR 
VIOLATIONS OF THE LBELING REQUIREMENTS 
Be it enacted by the Senate and the House of Representatives of the Philippines in Congress 
assem bled 
SECTION 1. Short Title. - This Act shall be known as the “Imported Produce Labeling Act.” 
SECTION 2. Definitions. -For purposes of this Act, the term: 
(1) “Perishable Agricultural Commodity” means any of the following, whether or not frozen or 
packed in ice: Fresh fruits and fresh vegetables of every kind and character. 
(2) “Retailer” means person engaged in the business of selling consumer products directly to 
consumers. 
SECTION 3. Indication of 
Country of Origin of Imported Perishable Agricultural 
Commodities.- 
(1) NOTICE OF COUNTRY OF ORIGIN REQUIRED - A retailer of a perishable agricultural 
commodity into the P hilippines shall inform c onsumers, at the final p oint o f s ale o f t he p erishable 
agricultural commodity to consumers, of the country of origin of the perishable agricultural commodity. 
(2) METHOD OF NOTIFICATION- 
(a) IN GENERAL - The information required b y  subsection ( 1) may be provided to 
consumers by means of a label, stamp, mark, placard, or other clear and visible sign on the 
imported p erishable agricultural c ommodity o r  on the p ackage, display, holding unit, o r b in 
containing the commodity at the final point of sale to consumers. 
(b) LABELED COMMODITIES- If the imported perishable agricultural commodity is 
already individually labeled regarding country of origin by the packer, importer, or another 


person, the retailer hall not be required to provide any additional information to comply with 
this Section. 
(3) APPLICATION OF SECTION - This Act shall apply with respect to a perishable 
agricultural commodity imported into the Philippines after the end of the 6-month period beginning on 
the date of the enactment of this Act. 
SECTION 4. Regulations. - Not later than one (1) year after the enactment of this Act, the 
Secretary of Agriculture shall promulgate rules and regulations to carry out the provisions on this Act. 
SECTION 5. Penalties. - Any person who shall violate any provision of this Act shall upon 
conviction, be subject to a fine of not less than One Thousand Pesos (P1,OOO.OO) but not more than Ten 
Thousand Pesos (10,000.00) or imprisonment of not less than two (2) months but not more than one (1) 
year, or both upon the discretion of the court. If the offender is an alien, he shall be deported after 
service of sentence and payment of fine without further deportation proceedings. 
SECTION 6. Separability Clause. - If any provision or part hereof, is held invalid or 
unconstitutional, the remainder of the law of the provision not otherwise affected shall remain valid 
and subsisting. 
SECTION 7. Repealing Clause. - Any law, presidential decree or issuance, executive order, 
letter of instruction, administrative order, rule or regulation contrary to or inconsistent with the 
provisions of this Act is hereby repealed, modified or amended accordingly. 
SECTION 8. Effectivity Clause. - This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its 
publication in at least two (2) newspapers of general circulation. 
Approved, 
I2206 ljd