FOURTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE REPUBLIC) 
OF THE PHILIPPINES 
1 
Second Regular Session 
1 
L 
Introduced by Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
According to ARTICLE XI11 Section 12 of the 1987 Constitution: 
"The State shall establish and maintain an effective food and drug regulatory 
system and undertake appropriate health, manpower development, and research, 
responsive to the country's health needs and problems." 
Dietary supplements and weight-loss aids are not subject to the same rigorous standards 
by the Bureau of Food and Drugs (BFAD) as are prescription drugs or medications sold over- 
the-counter. These weight-loss supplements do not have to disclose a full list of ingredients, and 
often trigger a host of harmful side effects, including nausea, high blood pressure, diarrhea, 
indigestion, heart rate irregularities, insomnia, vomiting, or worse. This "buyer beware" policy is 
troublesome enough regarding adult consumers, but it is particularly alarming with regard to 
teenagers and children. Warning labels on many of these products alert that they are "for adult 
use only," or are "not for use by individuals under 18 years of age," but yet there are no 
regulations which restrict a retailer from selling these products to children. We must protect our 
children from unfettered access to untested weight-loss supplements that could wreak potentially 
permanent damage on their bodies. 
This legislation would address this problem by not only making prohibiting the sale of 
over-the-counter weight loss supplements to persons younger than 18, but also by requiring 
retailers selling these snpplements to post in a conspicuous location a sign stating that selling 
over-the-counter weight loss supplements to persons younger than 18 is a violation of the law. 


FOURTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE REPUBLIC) 
OF THE PHILIPPINES 
1 
Second Regular Session 
) 
Introduced by Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago 
AN ACT 
MINORS 
PROHIBITING THE SALE OF OVER-THE-COUNTER WEIGHT LOSS SUPPLEMENTS TO 
1 
2 
assembled: 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House OjRepresentutives of the Philippines in Congress 
3 
4 
5 
SECTION 1. Definition. - For the purposes of this Act, “Over-the-counter weight loss 
supplements” means any product intended for the purpose of weight loss that are sold without 
the need o€ a prescription. 
6 
7 
8 
SECTION 2. Prohibition. - Any person operating a place of business where over-the- 
counter weight loss supplements are sold or offered for sale is prohibited from selling such 
products to individuals under eighteen years of age. 
9 
10 
11 
12 
13 
14 
15 
16 
17 
SECTION 3. Sign. - Any person operating a place of business where over-the-counter 
weight loss supplements are sold or offered for sale shall post in a conspicuous place a sign upon 
which there shall be imprinted the following statement, “Sale of over-the-counter weight loss 
supplements to persons under eighteen years of age is prohibited by law.” Such sign shall be 
printed on a white card in red letters at least one-half inch in height. 
SECTION 4. Penalty. -Any person who violates section 2 and 3 of this Act shall 
be penalized with a fine of not less than Fifty Thousand Pesos (P 50,000.00) but not more than 
Two Hundred thousand Pesos (P 200,000.00) or imprisonment ofnot less than six (6) months but 
not more that five (5) years, or both such fine and imprisonment at the discretion of the court. 
1 


1 
2 
3 
modified accordingly. 
SECTION 5. Repealing Clause. - All'laws, decrees, orders, rules and regulations or 
parts thereof inconsistent with the provisions of this Act are hereby repealed, amended or 
4 
5 
6 
SECTION 6. Separability Clause. - If, for any reason, any provision of this Act is 
declared to be unconstitutional or invalid, the other sections or provisions hereof which are not 
affected thereby shall continue to be in full force and effect. 
7 
8 
9 
Approved, 
SECTION 7. Effectivity Clause. - This Act shall take effect after fifteen (15) days 
following its publication in the Oficial Gazette or in two (2) newspapers of general circulation. 
2