Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPR%SENTATIVES.
Quezon City

EIGHTEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

4059

House Bil! No.

Introduced by HON. ROZZANO RUFINO B. BIAZON

EXPLANATORY NOTE

This bill seeks to mandate the labelling of alcoholic beverages. It proposes to declare
as unlawful the manufacture, importation, or bottle for sale or distribution in
the Philippines any alcoholic beverage unless the container of such beverage bears a
government warning on the harmful effects of an alcoholic beverage.

The health of its people is, and should always be, the primordial concer of any State.
It is the responsibility of any government to ensure that its citizens are protected from all
substances that are harmful to their health. This is the reason why drugs, cigarettes and other
toxic substaaces have labels on their harmful effects to people.

Alcokolic beverages however seem to be exempted from such labels despite their
harmful effects to the health of people. According to the World Health Organization:

© Worldwide, 3 million deaths every year result from harmful use of alcohol, this #
represent 5.3 % of all deaths.

The harmful use of alcohol is a cause! factor in more than 200 disease and injury
conditions.

© Overall 5.1 % of the global burden of disease and injury is attributable to alcohol,
as measured in disability-adjusted life years (DALYs).

* Alcohol consumption causes death and disability relatively early in life. In the age
group 20-39 years approximately 13.5 % of the total deaths are alcohol-
attributable.

¢ There is a causal relationship between harmful use of alcohol and a range of mental
and behavioral disorders, other nonccramunicable conditions as well as injuries.

¢ The latest causal relationships have been established between harmful drinking and
incidence of infectious diseases such as tuberculosis as well as the course of
HIV/AIDS.


© Beyond health consequences, the harmful use of alcohol brings significant social
and economic losses to individuals ard society at large.

‘

It is high time that alcoholic beverages contain government warning on their harmful
effects to the health of people. More than any other resource, the human resources of a country
remains to be the most valuable.

In view of the foregoing, the early passage of this bill is eamestly sought.

A hy
ROZZANO RU! bh los.
Representative

Lone District, Muntinlupa City


Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.
Quezon City

EIGHTEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

; 4059
House Bill No.

Introduced by HON. ROZZANO RUFINO B. BIAZON

‘
—  ——. _

AN ACT
MANDATING THE LABELLING OF ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES
AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in
Congress assembled:

SECTION 1. Declaration of Policy. — It is hereby declared the policy of the State to
ensure, protect and promote the health and general well-being of its citizens. The people should
be informed of health hazards that may result from the consumption or abuse of certain
products.

‘Towards this end, the provision of warning or other information with respect to any
relationship between the consumption or abuse of alcoholic beverages and health in such
products must be pursued.

Sec. 2, Definition of Terms. — As used in this Act: ‘

a. “Alcoholic beverage” includes any beverage in liquid form which contains not less
than one-half of one percent of alcohol by volume and is intended for human consumption.
This shall include mixed alcoholic beverages such as cocktails and such other drinks containing
a mixture of alcoholic beverages;

b. “Bottle” means to fill a container with an alcoholic beverage and to seal such;
c. “Container” means the innermost sealed container irrespective of the material from

which made, in which an alcoholic beverage is placed by the bottler and in which such
beverage is offered for sale to members of the general public;

d. “Health” includes, but is not limited to, the prevention of accidents;
¢. “Person” means an individual, partnership, joint stock company, business trust,

association, corporation, or any other business or legal entity, including a receiver, trustee, or
* ‘


liquidating agent, and also includes any State, any State agency, or any officer or employee
thereof; and :

f, “Sale” and “distribution” include sampling or any other distribution not for sale.

Sec. 3. Labelling of Alcoholic Beverages. — After one (1) year upon the effectivity of
this Act, it shall be unlawful for any person to manufacture, import, or bottle for sale or 4
distribution in the Philippines any alcoholic beverage unless the container of such beverage
bears the following statement:

“GOVERNMENT WARNING: (1) Women should not drink alcoholic
beverages during pregnancy because of the risk of birth defects. (2)
Consumption of alcoholic beverages impairs your ability to drive a car or
operate machinery, and may cause health problems.”.

The provisions of this section shall not apply with respect to alcoholic beverages that
are manufactured, imported, bottled, or labeled for export from the Philippines, or for delivery
to a vessel or aircraft, as supplies, for consumption beyond the jurisdiction of the internal
revenue laws of the Philippines.

Sec. 4. Conspicuous and Prominent Location of Statement on Container. ~ The
statement required by the preceding section shall be located in a conspicuous and prominent
place on the container of such beverage, as determined by the Secretary of Health, shall be in
type of a size determined by the Secretary of Health, and shall appear on a contrasting
background. The Secretary opf Health shall make such determinations within sixty (60) days
upon the effectivity of this Act. ’

Sec. 5. Labelling of Menu. — After one (1) year upon the effectivity of this Act, business
establishments who offer mixed alcoholic beverages in their menu shall be mandated to place
below the list of such alcoholic beverages the same government warning as prescribed under
the preceding section.

Sec. 6, Penalties. — Any person who violates the provisions of this Act shall be
penalized with a fine of One Million Pesos (PhP1,000,000.00) for the first offense, Two Million
Pesos (PhP2,000,000.00) for the second offense and Three Million Pesos (PhP3, 000,000.00)
and a revocation of license on the third offense.

Sec. 7. Implementing Rules and Regulations. — The Secretary of Health shall, in
coordination with the Secretary of Trade and Industry, promulgate the necessary rules and
regulations for the effective implementation of this Act.

Sec. 8 Separability Clause. — If any provision of this Act shall be deemed
unconstitutional or invalid, the other provisions not affected thereby shall remain in force and
effect,

Sec. 9. Repealing Clause. — All Acts, Presidential Decrees, Executive Orders and ‘
Administrative Orders, Rules and Regulations and other such issuances or parts thereof which
are inconsistent with the provisions of this Act are hereby repealed or modified accordingly.


Sec. 10. Effectivity. — This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its complete
publication in the Official Gazette or in at least two (2) newspapers of general circulation.

Approved,