Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,
Quezon City, Metro Manila
Fifteenth Congress
First Regular Session
HOUSE BILL NO. 2341

Introduced by Hon. MARY MITZI “MITCH” L. CAJAYON

EXPLANATORY NOTE

This bill seeks to require all establishments offering dining services to serve safe drinking
water to its patrons pursuant to Article II, Section 15 of the 1987 Philippine Constitution which
provides that, “The State shall protect and promote the right to health of the people and instill
health consciousness among them.”

Drinking water can become contaminated at the original water source, during treatment
or during distribution. Consumption of unsafe drinking water can result in possible immediate
and chronic diseases to humans.

According to the Department of Health (DOH), food and waterborne diseases are among
the most common causes of diarrhea in the country. For the past twenty years diarrhea has been
the number one cause of morbidity and mortality having an incidence of 1,997 per 100,000
population while the mortality rate is 6.7 per 100,000 population. DOH admits that the best
approach to limit economic losses is proper dissemination of information and strict food and
water sanitation.

In the interest of ensuring consumer safety and protection, it is therefore necessary that
all customers going to dining establishments be served safe drinking water.

In view of the foregoing, approval of this bill is earnestly sought.

MARY MITZI “MITCH” L. CAJAYON


Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City, Metro Manila
Fifteenth Congress
First Regular Session

HOUSE BILL NO. 234 1

Introduced by Hon. MARY MITZI “MITCH” L. CAJAYON

AN ACT
REQUIRING ALL DINING ESTABLISHMENTS TO SERVE SAFE DRINKING
WATER, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES

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

SECTION 1. Declaration of Policy. — It shall be the policy of the State to protect and
promote the right to health of the people and instill health consciousness among them. Toward.
this end, all establishments offering dining services shall be required to serve safe drinking water
to its patrons in the interest of ensuring consumer safety and protection.

SECTION 2. Definition of Terms. - For the purpose of this Act, the following
terminologies shall be construed as:

a. “Biological impurities” refer to microbial pathogens which are disease-producing micro-
organisms such as bacteria, viruses and parasites.

b, “Bottled Water” refers to drinking water that has met public health standards and
regulations packaged in bottles for individual consumption and may be classified as
spring bottled water, mineral bottled water or sparkling bottled water.

c. “Chemical impurities” refer to both organic compounds such as nitrate and toxic metals
like, arsenic, barium, chromium, lead, mercury and silver that may come from natural
resources, industrial processes and the materials used in the plumbing system.

d. “Dining establishments” refer to those offering dining services such as restaurants, fast
food chains, canteens, cafés, bar and cocktail lounges as well as dining and drinking
establishments located in short-stay accommodations like hotels, inns, apartelles or
motels,

¢. “Purified Water” refers to water that has been produced by distillation, deionization,
reverse osmosis, or other suitable processes and is sometimes called demineralized water.

f, “Radiological impurities” refer to radioactive contaminants such as radon which results
from the decay of uranium in soil and rocks.

g. “Safe drinking water” refers to water that is sufficiently free from biological, chemical,
radiological or physical impurities such that individuals will not be exposed to disease or
harmful physiological effects upon consumption. It includes potable water which has
gone through water purification process and such others as may be prescribed under the
implementing rules and regulations of this Act.

h. “Water Purification Process “ refers to the method of removing contaminants from raw
water source with the objective of removing particles of sand and organic materials,
parasites and toxic metals in order to meet primarily, the requirements for human
consumption, and other medical, pharmacological, chemical and industrial applications.

SECTION 3. Requiring Dining Establishments to Serve Safe Drinking Water. - The State
shall, in the interest of protecting the health and well-being of the people, require all
establishments offering dining services to serve safe drinking water to its patrons.


In cases when purified drinking water is not available, dining establishments shall be
required to serve or provide instead bottled water to their clients free of charge.

SECTION 4. Compliance and Monitoring. ~ Local Government Units (LGUs) shall
regularly conduct regular inspections in all dining places under their territorial jurisdictions
through duly designated persons and with the assistance of the Department of Trade and Industry
and the Department of Health and to undertake spot inspections on their own initiative in order to
check compliance with the provisions of this Act.

SECTION 5. Rules and Regulations. - The Department of Trade and Industry, in
coordination with the Department of Health, shall promulgate rules and regulations for the
effective implementation of this Act.

SECTION 6. Penalties. - The following penalties shall apply to the owner, president,
manager, or the most senior officers of any establishment of business entity who violates the
provision of Section 3 of this Act:

a. On the first offense, a fine of not less than Five Thousand Pesos (Php5,000.00) but not
more than Ten Thousand Pesos (Php10,000.00) shall be imposed.

b. On the second offense, a fine of not less than Ten Thousand Pesos (Php10,000.00) but
not more than Twenty Thousand Pesos (Php20,000.00) shall be imposed.

On the third offense, in addition to a fine of not less than Thirty Thousand Pesos
(P30,000.00) but not more than Fifty Thousand Pesos (PhpS0,000.00), the business permits and
licenses to operate shall be cancelled or revoked.

SECTION 7. Appropriations. - Such amount as may be necessary to implement this Act
shall be charged to the appropriations for the Consumer Protection and Business Regulation as
authorized by law for the Department of Trade and Industry.

SECTION 8. Effectivity. - This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its publication
in the Official Gazette or in two (2) newspapers of general circulation.

Approved,