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Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City

EIGHTEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

HOUSE BILL 513

Introduced by REPRESENTATIVE JOEL MAYO Z. ALMARIO

EXPLANATORY NOTE

This bill requires all food establishments nationwide to include half cup of cooked rice as
an option in their menus to achieve a fourfold goal of reducing food wastage, establishing rice
production self-sufficiency, lessening consumer expense, and promoting health and balanced
eating.

Primary in the list of goals is preventing wastage in rice consumption in order to realize
rice production autonomy by our local farmers, According to the Department of Agriculture's
Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice), each Filipino wastes an average of two (2)
tablespoons of cooked rice each day. This is equivalent to twelve (12%) percent of the country’s
annual rice imports, costing the country roughly 7.2 billion pesos annually - an amount that can
feed 2.5 million Filipinos for an entire year. From this data, it can be concluded that the current
trend in rice consumption runs counter to the numerous government programs aiming to
achieve rice production self-sufficiency.

Second, this bill allows consumers to lessen their expenses by giving them an option to
order half a cup of rice instead of the usual one whole cup when ordering from restaurants,
cafeterias, diners, eateries and the like. By giving consumers an option to order less rice, the cost.
of each meal is also lowered.

Lastly, the bill promotes health awareness by giving the consumers an option of
decreasing their rice intake. It provides customers who are trying to limit their rice consumption
the choice to order only the amount of rice they can actually consume, effectively discouraging
over-eating,

A similar version of this bill was filed during the 17th Congress. Support for this bill is

once again earnestly sought.
a
jOEL Avo ALMARIO
’epresentative

2- District, Davao Oriental


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Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City

EIGHTEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

2513

HOUSE BILL NO.

Introduced by Representative JOEL MAYO Z. ALMARIO

AN ACT MANDATING ALL COMMERCIAL ESTABLISHMENTS SERVING FOOD TO THE
PUBLIC TO PROVIDE ONE-HALF CUP OF RICE SERVING AS A MENU OPTION, PROVIDING
PENALTIES FOR THE VIOLATION OF SUCH, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES

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 “Half-Cup Rice Act of 2019.”

SECTION 2. MANDATE - It is hereby mandated that all commercial establishments
serving food to the public include an option to order a half cup or one hundred (100 g) grams of
cooked rice serving option in their menus.

SECTION 3. PENALTIES - Any business establishment found violating this Act shall be
fined Five Thousand Pesos (PhP5,000.00) for the first offense; Ten Thousand Pesos (PhP
10,000.00) for the second offense; and Fifteen Thousand Pesos (PhP 15,000.00) and suspension
of license or permit to operate for a period not less than thirty (30) days for the third and
subsequent offenses.

SECTION 4, IMPLEMENTING RULES AND REGULATIONS - The Department of Trade
and Industry shall, within ninety (90) days from the promulgation of this Act, formulate the rules

and regulations necessary for the proper implementation of this Act.


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SECTION 5. SEPARABILITY CLAUSE - Should any provision or part hereof be held
invalid or unconstitutional, the remainder of the Act not otherwise affected shall remain valid

and subsisting.

SECTION 6. REPEALING CLAUSE - All laws, executive orders, issuances, rules and
regulations inconsistent with this Act are hereby amended, repealed, or modified accordingly.

SECTION 7. EFFECTIVITY CLAUSE - This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its
publication in the Official Gazette or in a newspaper of general circulation, whichever comes

earlier.

Approved,