FOURTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE REPUBLIC) 
OF THE PHILIPPINES 
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7 All- 24 I> 3 :/ i 
First Regular Session 
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Introduced by Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
International and local medical researches have shown that a high dietapj intake of 
saturated fat can lead to increased serum cholesterol levels which, in turn, can lead to Coronary 
Heart Disease (CHD). CHD is a killer disease in the Philippines and the number one killer 
disease in America. 
To decrease the risk of acquiring the disease, private and public studies by experts in the 
fields of medicine and nutrition unanimously support the conclusion that the people should know 
how much fat, particularly saturated fat, they consume and should guard against too much 
coiisuniption of fat in general and saturated fat in particular. 
Republic Act No. 7394 or the "Consumer Act of the Philippines," Articles 77 and 84 
provides for the minimum labeling requirements for consumer products and additional labeling 
requirements for food, respectively. However, these provisions on labeling requirements do not 
expressly require information on the fat and cholesterol content of foods. Thus, not all consumer 
food products contain such information. 
This bill therefore seeks to provide consumers with more information on the fat and 
cholesterol content of foods through improved labeling," 
*This bill was originally filed during the Thirteenth Congress, First Regular Session. 


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FOURTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE REPUBLIC) 
OF THE PHILIPPINES 
1 
First Regular Session 
1 
Introduced by Senat,or Miriam Defensor Santiago 
AN ACT 
PRESCRIBING LABELING REQUIREMENTS 
FOR FOODS WHICH CONTAIN SATURATED FAT AND CHOLESTEROL 
Be it enacted by the Senate and the House of Representatives of the Philippines in 
Congress assembled: 
SECTION 1. Shovt Title. - This Act shall be known as the. “Low Cholesterol Consumer 
Education Act.” 
SECTION 2. Declaration ofPolicy. - It is the policy of the State to protect the interests 
of the consumer, promote his general welfare and to establish standards of conduct for business 
and industry. Towards this end, the State shall implement measures to achieve the following 
objectives: 
(A) Protection against hazards to health and safety; and 
(B) Provision of information and education to facilitate sound choice and the proper 
exercise of rights by the consumer; 
The State shall therefore, enforce compulsory labeling and lair packaging to enable the 
consumer to obtain accurate information as to the nature, quality and quantity of the contents of 
consumer products and to facilitate his/ her comparison o i  tbe value of such products. 
SECTION 3. Definition of Terms. -For purposes of this Act, the term: 
(A) “Saturated Fat” refers to that type of fat with single covalent bonds between the 
carbons of its fatty acids, which molecule’s available bonding sites are entirely filled with 
hydrogen atoms. It is solid at room temperature and is found in foods from animal meats and 
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skin, dairy products and some vegetables; 
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(B) “Cholesterol” means the sterol found in animal tissue in combination with 
triglycerides and protein-bound phospholipids. It is a pmursor to the foxiriation of the Low 
Densily Lipoprotein (LDL), high levels ofwhich in the blood, leads to coronary heart disease. 
(C) “Label” or “labeling” means the display of written, printed or graphic matter on any 
consumer product or its immediate container, tag, literature or other suitable material affixed 
thereto for the purpose of giving information as to identity, components, ingredients, attributes, 
directions €or use, specifications and such other information as may be required by law or 
regulations; and 
(D) “Standards” means to a set of conditions to be fulfilled to ensure the quality and 
safety of a product. 
SECTION 4. Stunduvds. - Not later than one hundred eighty (180) days after the date of 
the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Health shall establish and publish the following: 
(A) Standards for the recornmended maximum daily IeveIs of total fat, total saturated fat, 
and cholesterol in total dietary intake, expressed as a percentage of calories from fat and total 
grams of fat, and 
(B) 
Relevant and appropriate standards for determining service sizes of foods for 
purposes of enabling consumers to make comparisons of fat content contained in similar or like 
products. 
SECTION 5. Labeling. - The Department of Health shall impose an additional labeling 
requirement for food which specifically shows: 
(A) Saturated fat content; and 
(B) Cholesterol content. 
SECTION 6. Prohibited Acts on Labeling. - It shaIl be unIawfuI for any person, either as 
principal or agent, engaged in the labeling or packaging of any food consumer product, to 
display or distribute or to cause to be displayed or distributed in cotnmerce, any food consumer 
product whose label does not conform to the provisions of this Act. 
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SECTION 7. Penalties. -Any person who shall violate the provisions of this Act shall be 
subject to a fine of not less than One Thousand Pesos (Pl,OOO.OO) hut not more than Twenty 
Thousand Pesos (P20,OOO.OO) or imprisonment of not less than six (6) months but not more than 
four (4) years or both, at the discretion of the court. 
SECTION 8. Separability Clause. - If any pmvision or part hereof, is held invalid or 
unconstitutional, the remainder of the law or the provision not otherwise affected shall remain 
valid and subsisting. 
SECTION 9. Repealing Clause. - Any law, presidential decree or issuance, executive 
order, letter of instruction, administrative order, rule or rcgnlation contrary to or inconsistent 
with, the provisions of this Act is hereby repealed, modified or amended accordingly. 
SECTION 10. Effectivity Clause. - This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its 
publication in at least two (2) newspapers of general circulation. 
Approved, 
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