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 
ESTABLISHING QUALITY STANDARDS FOR THE PRODUCTION OF MINERAL, 
CARBONATED, AND OTHER BOTTLED WATER 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
Water is life. It is very vital for human survival. And with the population boom also 
comes the proliferation of bottled water stations some owned by big multinational 
companies which they franchise to local entrepreneurs and others that are small-time 
and unbranded operators. 
With the filing and approval of this bill, fly-by-night and sub-standard bottled water 
providers will be eliminated thereby, protecting consumers’ health. And also, this bill 
ensures that quality standards are set in place for bottled water distributors and 
providers to follow. 
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 
September 19, 2022
1:30 pm
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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 
ESTABLISHING QUALITY STANDARDS FOR THE PRODUCTION OF MINERAL, 
CARBONATED, AND OTHER BOTTLED WATER 
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 the "SAFE BOTTLED WATER 
ACT OF 2022." 
SECTION 2. Statement of Policy. – It is the policy of the state to protect and promote 
the health of the people by ensuring that potable, safe, and affordable drinking water 
is available to all the people by adopting a comprehensive policy framework to regulate 
the activities of mineral, carbonated, and other bottled water business including 
suppliers, distributors and sellers therefor. 
SECTION 3. Quality Standards for Bottled Water. - 
(a) The interim or revised national primary drinking water regulations concerning
maximum contaminant levels promulgated by the director of the food and drugs
administration (FDA) shall apply to all kinds of bottled drinking water, including mineral,
spring, natural sparkling, and vended water.
(b) Within twelve (12) months after the date of the effectivity of this act, the secretary
of the department of health (DOH) shall establish quality standards and definitions for
mineral water and carbonated water, which shall include:
(1) Limits for total dissolved solids, sulfate, sodium, and trihalomethane content;
and 
(2) As determined by established health-based drinking water standards.
SECTION 4. Source Protection. – Within twelve (12) months after the date of the 
effectivity of this Act, the Director of the FDA shall: 
(a) Identify safe sources of bottled water; and
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(b) Establish criteria to determine the adequacy as well as the protection of "approved 
sources" of bottled water including, but not limited to: 
 
 
(1) Minimum construction standards for water wells; 
 
 
(2) Minimum distance separation from upstream wastewater discharges; and 
 
 
(3) Minimum distance separation from abandoned wells, septic tanks, waste 
impoundment, and landfills. 
 
SECTION 5. Monitoring, Reporting, and Inspection. – Within twelve (12) months 
after the date of the effectivity of this Act, the Director of the FDA shall: 
 
(a)  Establish a bottled water monitoring program that, at a minimum, shall: (1) Be as 
stringent as that used for public water supplies and which provides for yearly testing 
and monitoring for unregulated contaminants for which public water utilities must test, 
and (2) Require that any analysis or testing be performed in an approved and certified 
laboratory. 
 
(b)  Establish a bottled-water reporting program that shall: 
 
 
(1) Stipulate time-tables and procedures for timely reporting; 
 
 
(2) Provide public notification procedures should any bottled water be found to 
be in excess of health-based standards; 
 
 
(3) Establish a national registry of bottled water facilities and their most current 
reporting information; and 
 
 
(4) Require that records of sampling and analysis be maintained at the plant for 
not less than two (2) years and shall be available for official review upon 
request. 
 
(c)  Establish a bottled water facility inspection program that includes, at a minimum, 
two (2) scheduled inspections a year and one (1) unscheduled inspection a year. 
 
SECTION 6. Recall Regulations. – Within six (6) months after the date of the 
effectivity of this Act, the Director of the FDA shall: 
 
(a)  Establish procedures and public notification guidelines for the recall of a bottled 
water product that falls below any health-based standard; and  
 
(b)  Require each bottled water manufacturer to develop and submit individual recall 
notifications and recall procedures.  
 
SECTION 7. Prohibition of Dual Use of Bottled Water Equipment. – Within twelve 
(12) months after the date of the effectivity of this Act, the Director of the FDA shall 
prohibit the processing and bottling of noncarbonated water with equipment used to 
process milk, fruit juice, or other food products likely to contribute nutrients for 
microbiological growth. 


 
SECTION 8. Bottling, Packaging, and Storage Study. – The Director I of the FDA 
shall conduct a comprehensive study of contaminants and the extent to which they 
contribute to the degradation of bottled water from the unique processing and storage 
of bottled water. The Director shall pay particular attention to contamination problems, 
which may arise from the bottling, packaging, or storage of bottled water products. 
 
SECTION 9. Labeling. – Within six (6) months after the date of the enactment of this 
Act, the Secretary of the DOH shall: 
 
(a) Establish and enforce clear, concise, and uncoded uniform source labeling 
requirements for all bottled water products which, at a minimum, include: 
 
 
(1) The source of the water; 
 
(2) Type of water; 
 
(3) Type of treatment, if any; 
 
(4) The date of bottling; 
 
(5) The address of the bottler; and 
 
(6) Provide numerical specifications of sodium content. 
 
(b)  Define mineral water, spring water, naturally carbonated, naturally sparkling, well 
water, natural well water, artesian water, natural artesian water, purified water, distilled 
water, drinking water, and all other variants of bottled water existing in the market, and 
require that the definition for the appropriate product be placed on the bottle. 
 
SECTION 10. Appropriations. – The initial amount necessary to implement the 
provisions of this Act shall be charged against the current year's appropriations of the 
FDA under the DOH. Thereafter, such sums as may be necessary for the continued 
implementation of this Act shall be included in the annual General Appropriations Act. 
 
SECTION 11. Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR). – The DOH shall issue 
the IRR for this Act within ninety days (90) days from its effectivity. 
 
SECTION 12. Separability Clause. – If any provision or part hereof is held invalid or 
unconstitutional, the remainder of the law or the provision not otherwise affected shall 
remain valid or subsisting.  
 
SECTION 13. 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 14. Effectivity Clause. – This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its 
publication in two (2) newspapers of general circulation.  
 
Approved,