Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City
NINETEENTH CONGRESS
Second Regular Session
HoUSEBILLNo.    9510
Introduced  by:  Hon.  Keith  Micah  "Atty.  Mike"  D.L.  Tan
AN ACT
REQUIRING  ALL  FOOD  ESTABLISHMENTS  TO  PROVIDE  ONE-HALF  CUP  OF
RICE   SERVING   AS   A   MENU   OPTION,   AND   PROVIDING   PENALTIES   FOR
VIOLATIONS THEREOF
EXPLANATORY NOTE
Rice  is  the  staple  food  of  the  Filipinos.  However,  data  from  the  Food  and
Nutrition  Research  Institute  (FNRI)  show  that  each  Filipino  wastes  an  average  of
three  (3) tablespoons or nine  (9)  grams of rice daily,  which  is equivalent to 3.3  kilos
Per year.
According  to  the  International  Rice  Research  Institute  (lRRl),  with  "94  million
and 9 grams of wasted rice per day, the total wastage is 308,000 tons, 36 percent of
2011   rice  imports.  The  said   rice  wastage  translates  to  at  least  US$535,000  (23
million  pesos)  every  day  or  $223  million  a  year,  an  amount  sufficient  to  feed  4.3
million  people.
The  Philippines  is  an  agricultural  country.   Ironically,  the  country  is  also  the
world's   biggest   importer  of  rice   for  several   years.   To   date,   the   government   is
implementing   various   programs   to   attain   rice   self-sufficiency  which   remains   an
elusive goal.
Under Proclamation  No. 494,  series of 2012 which declared the year 2013 as
the national year of rice,  it was explained that "a sustained and-nationwide campaign
to boost farmers' morale and  motivate them to adopt technologies to further improve
farm productivity and encourage the.general public to be responsible rice consumers
are   necessary   to   complement   the   government's   efforts   to   achieve   rice   self-
sufficiency."
ln   this   light,   this   bill,   which   was   originally  filed   by   President   Ferdinand   R.
Marcos   Jr.   when   he  was   a   senator  during   the   16th   Congress   and   which   was
subsequently  sponsored  by  then  Congresswoman  Angelina  "Helen"  Tan  of the  4th
District of Quezon  during  the  17th Congress,  seeks to  penalize the  practice of some
food  establishments  of refusing  to  serve  order of  rice from  a  customer  if it  be  less
than one (1) cup.
Recently,  the  Department  of Agriculture  (DA),   particularly  the  DA-Philippine
Rice  Research  Institute  (PhilRice),  has called  on  Congress to  revive the proposal  by


requiring  food  establishments  to  offer a  half-cup  rice  serving  option  to  reduce food
waste.
It   is   hoped   that  this   measure  will   considerably   reduce   rice  wastage   and
promote the right to health of all  Filipinos.
In view of the foregoing, the immediate passage of this bill is earnestly sought.
Keith
icah "Atty. Mike" D.L. Tan
4th  District,  Quezon


Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City
NINETEENTH CONGRESS
Second Regular Session
HOUSEBILLNo.    9510
Introduced  by:  Hon.  Keith  Micah "Atty.  Mike" D.L.  Tan
AN ACT
REQUIRING  ALL  FOOD  ESTABLISHMENTS  TO  PROVIDE  ONE-HALF  CUP  OF
RICE   SERVING   AS   A   MENU   OPTION,   AND   PROVIDING   PENALTIES   FOR
VIOLATIONS THEREOF
Be it enacted  by the Senate and the House of Representatives of the  Philippines in
Congress assembled:
SECTION  1.  Short Tr.f/e.  -This Act shall  be  known  as the "Anti-Rice Wastage
Act.„
SEC.  2.  Defint.fr.on  of Terms.  -  For  purposes  of this  Act,  the  following  terms
shall be defined as stated below:
(a)  ``Food  establishments"  shall  refer to  establishments  that  prepare  and  sell
food  directly to  consumers for  immediate  consumption,  whether indoor or
outdoor,     such     as     restaurants,     commissaries,     cafeterias,     cafes,
lunchrooms,    bistros,   fast   food    establishments,    food    courts,    buffets,
eateries,    retail    bakeries,    mobile    food    trucks,    and    dining    areas    in
accommodation establishments; and
(b)  "Half-cup  rice"  shall  refer  to  a  one  hundred  (100)  grams  of  cooked  rice
serving option in the menu of a food establishment.
SEC.  3.   Requiring  Food  Establishments  to  Provide  One-Half  Cup  of  Rice
Servr.ng as  a  Menu  Opt/.on.  -  Pursuant to  the  goal  of preventing  rice wastage  and
promoting the nutritional well-being of the  Filipino people, all food establishments are
required to provide one-half cup of rice serving as a menu option.
SEC.  4.  Per}a/fi.es.  -Any  food  establishment found  violating  this  Act  shall  be
fined  Five Thousand  Pesos (Php5,000.00) for the first offense; Ten Thousand  Pesos
(Phpl0,000.00)     for     the     second     offense;     and     Twenty     Thousand     Pesos
(Php20,000.00)  and  suspension  of  license  or  permit to  operate  for  a  period  of  not
less than thirty (30) days for the third offence and subsequent offenses.
SEC. 4.  Implementing Rules and Regulations. -The Department Of Trade and
Industry   shall,    in   consultation   with   the   concerned   government   agencies   and
stakeholders,  promulgate  the  implementing  rules  and  regulations  of this  Act  within
sixty (60) days from its effectivity.


SEC    5.     Rapea//'ng    C/aL/se.    -    All    laws,     decrees,    executive    orders,
proclamations,  and  administrative  regulations,  or parts thereof inconsistent  herewith
are hereby repealed or modified accordingly.
SEC.   6.   Effecf/.v/.fy.   -This  Act  shall  take  effect  fifteen   (15)   days  after  its
publication  in the Official Gazette or in any newspaper of general circulation.
Approved,