Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City, Metro Manila

SIXTEENTH CONGRESS

First Regular Session

4269

HOUSE BILL NO,

Introduced by REPRESENTATIVE MARIA LOURDES ACOSTA-ALBA

EXPLANATORY NOTE
‘The Constitution, in Article Il, Sections 13 and 15 provide:

“Section 13, The State recognizes the vital role of the
youth in nation-building and shall promote their
physical, moral, spiritual, intellectual, and social well-
being. It shall inculcate in the youth patriotism and
nationalism, and encourage their involvement in public
and civic affairs,

Section 15. The State shall protect and promote the
right to health of the people and instil health
consciousness among them.”

Academic studies have shown that there is nothing healthy about
carbonated soft drinks or soda.! Soft drinks contain sugar, artificial sweeteners,
caffeine, phosphorus and carbon acids which have harmful effects on the body.”
There is a continuous stream of scientific studies that show that show the health
risks of soda intake.

Soda consumption is associated with increased fracture risk due to reduced
bone mass. Soft drink intake also increases the incidence of dental caries or tooth
decay and obesity especially among adolescents and young adults,* Phosphorus,
high fructose com syrup, caffeine and the carbon acids impair the body’s capacity
to absorb calcium. Soft drink consumption of children is linked to insufficient
calcium in the body, impaired calcification of growing bones, and increased risk of
bone fracture. The high levels of caffeine in soft drinks could “disrupt sleep and
lead to anxiety and DNA damage and hyperactivity, especially among children.”

} Mahmood M. Saleh A, Al-Alawi F & Ahmed F. “Health Effects of Soda Drinking in Adolescent Girls in the
United Arab Emirates.” Journal of Critical Care 23(3) (2008): 434-440. Print.

* Sassafras. “The Effects of Soda on Your Body.” Living Healthy 360. Helium Publishing, 4 Nov. 2007. Web,
26 Jan. 2014.

* Wyshak, Grace et al. “Nonalcoholic Carbonated Beverage Consumption and Bone Fractures Among Women
Former College Athletes”. Journal of Orthopaedic Research 7(1) (1989); 91-99. Print.

“Nestle, Marion. “Soft Drink “Pouring Rights”: Marketing Empty Calories to Children”. Public Health Reports
115(4) (2000): 308-319. Print.

* Prentice, Ann et al. “Symposium on ‘Nutrition and Health in Children and Adolescents” Session 1: Nutrition in
Growth and Development.” Proceedings of the Nutrition Saciety 55(4) (2006); 348-360. Print.

© Chua, Philip 8. “Liquid candy’: Unhealthy.” Philippine Daily Inquirer 10 Dec, 2009: n. pag. Inquirer Net
Web. 26 Jan. 2014,


The World Health Organization recognized that consumption of soft drinks
contributes to the growing incidence of obesity.’ Soft drinks also increase the risk
for heart disease.*

Recent studies associate soft drink consumption by young children with
aggression, attention problems, and withdrawal behavior.?

Researchers from the University of Edinburgh found an association between
higher risk of the colorectal cancer and eating “high-energy snack foods” (snack
foods high in sugar and fat) and high-energy drinks (including sodas and other
sugary beverages). Their findings are published in the European Journal of Cancer
Prevention, 10

According to a 2010 study in Diabetes Care,!! drinking one to two sugary
drinks per day increased the risk of type 2 diabetes by 26 percent, compared with
having less than one serving a month.

Drinking just one can of soda a day increases the risk of developing diabet
by more than a fifth, according to a Eyropean study. Using data from 350,000
people in eight European countries, researchers found that every extra 12 fluid
ounce (340 ml) serving of sugar-sweetened drink raises the risk of diabetes by 22
percent compared with drinking just one can a month or less.

These trends have also been detected in the Philippines. A study involving
children aged 6-12 years old in La Trinidad, Benguet shows the prevalence of
dental caries and high consumption of sugar. Soft drinks are one of the most
common sources of dietary sugar (84%).!2 The 1998 National Monitoring and
Evaluation Dental Survey reported the prevalence of dental caries among children
aged 12 years was 91.7%.13

Dr. ‘Tim Gill, the Regional Coordinator of the Asia-Pacific International
Obesity Taskforce of Australia revealed that in the Philippines, 1% of young
children (0-10 years) and 3% of adolescents (11-17 years) were overweight.
Overweight children are more likely to develop health problems and their
complications. The greater the weight excess—the higher a child’s body mass index
(BMI)—the greater the risk of acquiring the so-called metabolic syndrome early in
life, which includes type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure and other cardiovascular
diseases. Obesity, in both children and adults, is a significant health danger.

‘The risk factors that characterize this syndrome are elevated triglycerides
(blood fats), blood sugar, and blood pressure, low HDL (High Density Lipoproteins,

* World Health Organization, “Diet, Nutrition and Prevention of Chronic Diseases.” WHO Technical Report

Series (2003): 148. Print.

* Chua, Philip S. “Liquid candy’: Unhealthy.” Philippine Daily Inquirer 10 Dec. 2009: n. pag. Inquirer Net.

Web. 26 Jan. 2014.

* Suglia, Shakira et al. “Soft Drinks Consumption is Associated with Behavior Problems in 5-Year-Olds." The

Journal of Pediatrics 163(5) (2013): 1323-1328, Print.

‘° Theodoratou, Evropi et al. “Associations Between Dietary and Lifestyle Risk Factors and Colorectal Cancer

in the Scottish Population.” European Journal af Cancer Prevention 23 (2014): 8-17, Print.

"Malik, Vasanti et al, “Sugar-Sweetened Beverages and Risk of Metabolic Syndrome and Type 2 Diabetes.”

Diabetes Care 33 (2010); 2477-2483. Print.

'? Yabao, R. N. et al. “Prevalence of Dental Caries and Sugar Consumption Among 6-12-y-old Schoolchildren

in La Trinidad, Benguet, Philippines.” European Journal of Clinical Nutrition 59(12) (2005): 1429-1438. Print,

: Philippines. Department of Health. National Monitoring and Evaluation Dental Survey. DOH, Manila; 1998.
int.



the good cholesterol), and abdominal obesity. These precede the development of
type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular diseases.

The Manila Doctors Hospital warns that in the Philippines, studies on
obesity reveal that the prevalence rate of obesity among Children was at 4.9% in
2003, Overweight children aged 0-5 years rose from 0.4% to 1.4%. The prevalence
rate of overweight children aged 6-10 years was almost negligible in 1998 but
increased to 1.3% in 2003, The results of a survey conducted by the Food and
Nutrition Research Institute (FNRI) of the Department of Science and Technology
revealed that in 1989, the prevalence rate of obesity among Filipino children was at
5.7%, In 1993 it increased to 8.8%."*

It is the responsibility of the State to protect our children from exposure to
harmful substance. The sale of beverages that pose serious health risks can be
curbed under the State’s police power.

Passage of this bill is urgently requested.

ph bubabat

MARIA LOURDES ACOSTA-ALBA

"The Manila Doctors Hospital, “More Obese Filipinos Due to Social Media, Fast-food Meals." Inreraksyon 15
Nov. 2013: n. pag, Web, 26 Jan. 2014.


Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City, Metro Manila

SIXTEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

4269

HOUSE BILL NO.

Introduced by REPRESENTATIVE MARIA LOURDES ACOSTA-ALBA

AN ACT
PROMOTING THE AVAILABILITY OF HEALTHY BEVERAGES TO CHILDREN IN
SCHOOLS BY REGULATING SODA AND OTHER ARTIFICIAL BEVERAGES, AND
FOR OTHER PURPOSES.

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

SECTION 1. Titie. — This Act shall be known as the “Healthy Beverage
Options Act.”

SECTION 2. Declaration of Policy. ~ It is hereby declared a policy of the State
to protect and promote the right to health of the people and instill health
consciousness among them. Pursuant to this, the State shall actively promote the
health of children and to take necessary steps to prevent serious health risks that
can be brought on by the consumption of unhealthy beverages. Further, the State
shall ensure that children are provided with healthy choices when purchasing
beverages in schools and shall regulate the sale of beverages to achieve this goal.

SECTION 8. Coverage. - This Act shall apply to all persons, institutions, and
entities in the Philippines, whether public or private, which provide, in whole or in
part, basic education as defined under Republic Act No. 10533, otherwise known
as the “Enhanced Basic Education Act of 2013.”

SECTION 4. Prohibitions. - a) The following beverages shall not be provided
or sold in schools:

1, Soft drinks, sports drinks, punches, and iced teas;

2. Fruit-based drinks that contain less than 50 per cent real fruit juice or that
contain additional sweeteners; and

3. Drinks containing caffeine, excluding low-fat or fat-free chocolate milk.

b) The following beverages shalll be sold at schools:

1. Fruit-based drinks that contain at least 50 per cent fruit juice and that do
not contain additional sweeteners;

2. Water and seltzer; and

3. Low-fat or fat-free milk, inchiding, but not limited to, chocolate milk, soy
milk, rice milk, and other similar dairy or non-dairy calcium-fortified milks.


Provided, that these prohibitions will also apply to a radius of 100 meters
from the boundaries of all schools covered by this Act.

SECTION 5. Duty to provide potable water. - Schools covered by this Act
shall make free potable water available for all school personnel, staff, and students.
Local school boards shall include the costs for providing potable water consistently
with Sections 99 and 100 of Republic Act No. 7160, otherwise known as the “Local
Government Code of 1991.”

SECTION 6. Duty to educate students on healthy food choices. ~ All schools
shall have the duty to incorporate into their curriculum lessons on the effects of
the consumption of unhealthy foods and drinks, including the effects of sugar in
the human body.

SECTION 7. Impiementation. - The Department of Education in consultation
with the Department of Health shall formulate and promulgate the implementing
rules and regulations of this Act within sixty (60) days from its effectivity. The
Department of Education shall implement this Act and conduct periodic reviews of
compliance by schools.

SECTION 8. Penalties. - Schools and restaurants found violating of this Act
shall be fined one hundred thousand pesos (P100,000.00) for every violation.

SECTION 9. Repealing Clause. - All laws, decrees, executive orders and
issuances, and rules and regulations which are inconsistent with the provisions of
this Act are hereby repealed, amended or modified accordingly.

SECTION 10. Separability Clause. — If for any reason, any portion or
provision of this Act shall be held unconstitutional or invalid, all other parts or
provisions not affected shall continue to remain in full force and effect.

SECTION 11. Effectivity. - This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its
publication in at least two (2) national newspapers of general circulation.

Approved,