EIGHTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE 
) 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES 
)
First Regular Session 
)
' . x '(O fi'irt of I'lf ^ ' 
'I  r r
*19 
JUL 16 All ••49
S E N A T E
Senate Bill No. _^A§_atCEiV[ D r;
Introduced by Senator Juan Miguel F. Zubiri
AN ACT
ESTABLISHING QUALITY STANDARDS FOR MINERAL, CARBONATED AND
OTHER BOTTLED WATER
EXPLANATORY NOTE
Ensuring that every Filipino has access to clean, safe and affordable drinking 
water is important in securing the safety and wellness of the population. Data from 
Water.org, a non-profit aid organization whose goal is to help regions of 
developing countries without access to safe drinking water and sanitation, reveals 
that nine million out of 101 million Filipinos still rely on an unimproved, unsafe and 
unsustainable water sources.
Unsafe water supply exposes individuals to the risk of suffering from 
waterborne diseases such as acute bloody diarrhea, cholera and other conditions 
brought by intake or use of water contaminated by microorganisms and other 
toxins. From January to December 2018, 17,906 cases of acute bloody diarrhea, 
13 cases of confirmed cholera, 750 cases of rotavirus and 22, 234 cases of typhoid 
fever had been recorded. These waterborne illnesses can easily be avoided by 
improving the safety of the source of household drinking water.1
In the country, bottled water or water from refilling stations is the most 
common source of drinking water, with around 44% of Filipino households relying 
on this source.2 With a huge number of Filipino households relying on bottled water 
as a primary supply, there is a need to ensure the safety, cleanliness and quality 
standards of these products in order the protect the health and wellbeing of all of 
its consumers.
This bill seeks to provide a framework that will regulate the quality 
standards for bottled waters ensuring that all bottled water available in the market 
are safe and fit for public consumption.
In view of the foregoing, the passage of this bill is earnestly sought.
IGUEL F. ZUBIRI
1 https://www.doh.gov.ph/sites/default/files/statistics/2018 Monthly FWBD Report N12.pdf
1 https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1053459/did-vou-know-44-of-filipinos-prefer-to-drink-bottled-water


EIGHTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE 
) 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES 
)
First Regular Session 
)
S E N A T E
Senate Bill No.
543
of l-*'-: 
r;
*19 
JUL 16 
R11 ■•49
(UXCI’/rl> 13
Introduced by Senator Juan Miguel F. Zubiri * 1 1
AN ACT
ESTABLISHING QUALITY STANDARDS FOR MINERAL, CARBONATED AND
OTHER BOTTLED WATER
Be it enacted by the Senate and House o f Representatives o f the Philippines in 
Congress assembled:
1 
SECTION 1. Short Title. -  This Act shall be known as the "Safe Bottled Water
2 
Act o f 2019."
3 
SEC. 2. Statem ent o f Policy. -  It is the policy of the State to protect and
4 
promote the health of the people. Towards this end, it shall ensure that potable, safe and
5 
affordable drinking water is available to all the people by adopting a comprehensive policy
6 
framework to regulate the activities of mineral, carbonated and other bottled water
7 
businesses including suppliers, distributors and sellers thereof.
8 
SEC. 3. Quality Standards fo r Bottled Water. -
9 
(a) The interim or revised national primary drinking water regulations concerning
10 
maximum 
containment 
levels 
promulgated 
by the 
Food 
and 
Drugs
11 
Administration (FDA) shall be applicable to all kinds of bottled drinking water
12 
including mineral, spring, natural sparkling and vended water.
13 
(b) Within twelve (12) months after the date of the effectivity of this Act, the
14 
Department of Health (DOH) shall establish quality standards and definitions
15 
for mineral water and carbonated water, which shall include:
16 
(1) Limits for total dissolved solids, sulfate, sodium and trihalomethane
17 
content; and
18 
(2) As determined by established health-based drinking water standards.
19 
SEC. 4. Source Protection. -  Within twelve (12) months after the date of the
20 
effectivity of this Act, the FDA shall:
21 
(a) Identify safe sources of bottled water; and


2
3
4
5
6
7
8 
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20 
21 
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
1
(b) Establish criteria to determine the adequacy as well as the protection of 
"approved sources" of bottled water including, but not limited to:
(1) Minimum construction standards for water wells;
(2) Minimum distance separation from upstream wastewater discharges; 
and
(3) Minimum distance separation from abandoned wells, septic tanks, waste 
impoundment and landfills.
SEC. 5. Monitoring, Reporting and Inspection. -  Within twelve (12) months 
after the date of the effectivity of this Act, the FDA shall:
(a) Establish a bottled water monitoring program which, at a minimum, shall:
(1) Be as stringent as that used for public water supplies and which provides 
for yearly testing and monitoring for unregulated contaminants for which 
public water utilities must test; and
(2) Require that any analysis or testing be performed in an approved and 
certified laboratory.
(b) Establish a bottled-water reporting program that shall:
(1) Stipulate timetables and procedures for timely reporting;
(2) Provide public notification procedures should any bottled water be found 
to be in excess of health-based standards;
(3) Establish a national registry of bottled water facilities and their most 
current reporting information; and
(4) Require that records of sampling and analysis be maintained at the plant 
for not less than two (2) years and shall be available for official review 
upon request.
(c) Establish a bottled water facility inspection program which includes, at a 
minimum, two (2) scheduled inspections a year and one (1) unscheduled 
inspection a year.
SEC. 6. Recall Regulations. -  Within six (6) months after the date of the 
effectivity of this Act, the FDA shall:
(a) Establish procedures and public notification guidelines for recall of a bottled 
water product which fall below any health-based standard; and
(b) Require each bottled water manufacturer to develop and submit individual 
recall notification and recall procedures.
SEC. 7. Prohibition o f Dual Use o f Bottled Water Equipment. -  Within 
twelve (12) months after the date of the effectivity of this Act, the FDA shall prohibit the


2
3
4
5
6
7
8 
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20 
21 
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
1
processing and bottling of noncarbonated water with eguipment used to process milk, 
fruit juice or other food products likely to contribute nutrients for microbiological growth.
SEC. 8. Bottling,. Packaging and Storage Study. -  The FDA shall conduct a 
comprehensive study of contaminants and the extent to which they contribute to the 
degradation of bottled water from the unique processing and storage of bottled water. 
The FDA shall pay particular attention to contamination problems, which may arise from 
the bottling, packaging or storage of bottled water products.
SEC. 9. Labeling. -  Within six (6) months after the date of the enactment of this 
Act, the DOH shall:
(a) Establish and enforce clear, concise, and encoded uniform source labeling 
requirements for all bottled water products which, at a minimum includes:
(1 ) The original source of the water;
(2) Type of water;
(3) Type of treatment, if any;
(4) The date of bottling;
(5) The address of the bottler; and
(6) Provide numerical specification of sodium content.
(b) Define mineral water, spring water, naturally carbonated, naturally sparkling, 
well water, natural well water, artesian water, natural artesian water, purified 
water, distilled water, drinking water and all other variants of bottled water 
existing in the market, and require that the definition for the appropriate 
product be placed on the bottle.
SEC. 10. Appropriations. -  The initial amount necessary to implement the 
provisions of this Act shall be charged against the current year's appropriations of the 
FDA under the DOH. Thereafter, such sums as may be necessary for the continued 
implementation of this Act shall be included in the annual General Appropriations Act.
SEC. 11. Im plem enting Rules and Regulations (IRR). -T he DOH shall issue 
the IRR for this Act within one hundred twenty (120) days from its effectivity.
SEC. 12. S eparability Clause. -  If any provision or part hereof is held invalid or 
unconstitutional, the remainder of the law or the provision not otherwise affected shall 
remain valid or subsisting.
SEC. 13. Repealing Clause. -  Any law, presidential decree or issuance, 
executive order, letter of instruction, administrative order, rule or regulation contrary to 
or inconsistent with the provisions of this Act is hereby repealed modified or amended 
accordingly.


2
3
4
1
SEC. 14. Effactivity Clause. -T h is Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after 
its publication in at least two (2) newspapers of general circulation.
Approved,