Republic of the Philippines 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
Quezon City 
TWENTIETH CONGRESS 
First Regular Session 
House Bill Number __________ 
Introduced by REP. JANE T. CASTRO 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
This proposed bill is seeking to regulate single-use plastics in the Philippines. 
The World Bank estimates that 2.7 million tons of single use plastics are used in the Philippines 
each year, and that 20% of these plastics end up in the ocean.  This in turn affects our citizens, 
many of whom live in coastal areas and are fishermen.  It also affects the aesthetics of our 
tourist destinations, mainly our beaches which would negatively impact our tourism numbers. 
Lastly, it affects our marine ecosystem. In various studies, microplastics were found in fishes 
and seafoods that Filipinos consume like milkfish, mussels, and others.  This poses a health 
risk to our consumers. 
In view of the foregoing, approval of this bill is earnestly sought. 
JANE T. CASTRO 
Representative 
2nd District of Capiz 
August 12, 2025
4:05 pm
3586


Republic of the Philippines 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
Quezon City 
TWENTIETH CONGRESS 
First Regular Session 
House Bill Number __________ 
Introduced by REP. JANE T. CASTRO 
AN ACT 
REGULATING THE PRODUCTION, IMPORTATION, SALE, DISTRIBUTION, 
PROVISION, USE, RECOVERY, COLLECTION, RECYCLING, AND DISPOSAL OF 
SINGLE-USE PLASTIC PRODUCTS 
Be it enacted by the Senate and the House of Representatives of the Philippines in Congress 
assembled: 
SECTION 1. Short title. – This Act shall be known as the “Single-Use Plastic Products 
Regulation Act.” 
 SEC. 2. Definition of terms. – As used in this Act: 
(a) Commercial establishment refers to an establishment or cluster of
establishments engaged in commerce or sales of goods or services
including market stores, shopping mall outlets, supermarkets, department
stores, online stores, grocery stores, drug stores, convenience stores, food
chains, restaurants, cafes, bars, sari-sari stores, ambulant vendors, with or
without stalls, and the like;
(b) Compostable plastic product refers to a plastic product that is suitable for
home composting that undergoes degradation by biological processes
during composting to yield carbon dioxide, water, inorganic compounds,
and biomass, at a rate consistent with other known compostable materials,
and leaves no visible, distinguishable, or environmentally harmful residue;
(c) High in replaceability refers to a condition wherein a plastic product is
deemed non-acceptable, unnecessary, or can be replaced by a more efficient
and eco-friendly alternatives;
(d) Importer refers to any entity that imports or distributes single-use plastic
products, or goods utilizing single-use plastic products, to any commercial
establishment in the Philippines;
3586


 
(e) Low in recyclability refers to a condition wherein the value for recovery and 
reprocessing of a plastic product is low, or nonexistent, due to its design, 
composition, content, and density, among other things; 
 
(f) Low in retrievability refers to a situation wherein after use of the plastic 
products, a significant volume cannot be recovered, properly recycled, 
processed or disposed of, on account of inefficient recovery schemes, or low 
value for recovery, recycling or reprocessing; 
 
(g) Plastic footprint refers to the total amount of plastic or composite materials 
used in the production, distribution, promotion, and sale of single-use plastic 
products or services; 
 
(h) Plastic products refer to bags, containers, food service necessities, 
packaging, and promotional materials, or any other non-healthcare products 
using synthetic polymers as a major component, or as one of the layers 
thereof, designed to be utilized, to carry or protect goods for transportation, 
distribution, and sale, or to promote these products or services; 
 
(i) Producer refers to any entity that manufactures or distributes single-use 
plastic products or goods utilizing single-use plastic products, to any 
commercial establishment in the Philippines; and 
 
(j) Single-Use Plastic Products refer to plastic products designed to be disposed, 
destroyed, or recycled, after only one use. 
 
SEC. 3. Phase Out of Single-Use Plastic Products. – The following non compostable 
single-use plastic products shall be phased out within a period of four (4) years from the 
effectivity of this Act: 
 
 
(a) Plates and saucers; 
(b) Cups, bowls, and lids; 
(c) Cutlery like spoons, forks, knives, and chopsticks; 
(d) Food and beverage containers made of expanded polystyrene; 
(e) Oxo-degradable plastics; 
(f) Film wrap, packaging, or bags of less than 50 microns in thickness; and 
(g) Sachets and pouches that are multilayered with other materials. 
 
 
The following products shall be phased out within a period of one (1) year from the 
effectivity of this Act: 
 
(a) Drinking straws; 
(b) Stirrers; 


(c) Sticks for candy, balloon, and cotton bud; 
(d) Buntings; 
(e) Confetti; and 
(f) Packaging or bags of less than 10 microns in thickness. 
 
Thereafter, the production, importation, sale, distribution, provision or use of the said plastic 
products shall be prohibited. 
 
Property labelled flexible disposable plastic drinking straws for persons with special medical 
conditions shall be allowed, when no suitable reusable or compostable alternatives are available. 
 
 
SEC. 4. Phase Out of Other Single-Use Plastic Products. Two (2) years after the effectivity 
of this Act, and every two (2) years thereafter, the Department of Environment and Natural 
Resources (DENR), in coordination with the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), the 
Department of Science and Technology (DOST), and the National Solid Waste Management 
Commission (NSWMC), shall regularly determine whether plastic bottles, packaging, or 
products that are multilayered with other materials, multilayered tetra packs, election or 
advertising paraphernalia, streamers, and other non-compostable single-use plastic products 
not listed under Section 3 of this Act are deemed either high in replaceability, low in 
recyclability, or low in retrievability. Upon determination by the DENR, these products shall 
be phased out within a period of two (2) years. 
 
Products are low in recyclability or retrievability when these are not properly recovered or 
offset, in compliance with the provisions or standards established pursuant to Section 7 of this 
Act. 
 
SEC. 5. Phase Out Plan for Single-Use Plastic Products. – A Phase Out Plan, hereinafter 
referred to as the Plan, shall be formulated by the DENR, in coordination with the NSWMC, 
and in consultation with relevant departments or agencies of the government and stakeholders, 
within six (6) months upon the effectivity of this Act. The Plan shall include the following 
components: 
 
(a) Consumption, Reduction, and Recovery Program. – The DTI, in cooperation 
with the DENR, the DOST, and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) 
of the Department of Health (DOH), and in consultation with stakeholders, 
shall formulate a Consumption, Reduction, and Recovery Program, to 
achieve a significant reduction in consumption and increased recovery for 
recycling and treatment, or proper disposal of single-use plastic products, 
within the phase out period prescribed by this Act. Such measures shall 
include national consumption reduction, waste recovery targets, and other 
measures ensuring that reusable and compostable alternatives to single use 
plastic products are made available, and that the said products are not free 
of charge at the point-of-sale to the final consumer; 
 


(b) Producer Responsibility Schemes. – Producer responsibility schemes shall 
be formulated to carry out the objectives of Section 7 of this Act, and as part 
of interim measures, to cushion the impact of single-use plastic products on 
the environment within the phase out periods; 
 
(c) Reusable and Compostable Alternatives to Single-Use Plastic Products – 
Appropriate strategies to implement the requirements provided under 
Sections 6 and 14 of this Act shall be formulated to assist local 
manufacturers in developing or acquiring the appropriate technology and 
sustainable materials for the production of reusable or compostable 
alternatives to single-use plastic products, which shall also be highly 
recoverable and highly recyclable; 
 
(d) Awareness-Raising Measures. – As part of the Information and Education 
Campaign (IEC) under Section 11 of this Act, the DENR shall, together with 
the Department of Education (DepEd) and Department of the Interior and 
Local Government (DILG), formulate an information dissemination plan to 
inform consumers of: (i) the impact of use and improper disposal of single-
use plastic products on the environment; (ii) waste reduction, reuse, 
recycling, and recovery systems; and (iii) other best practices in waste 
management; and 
 
(e) Fiscal and Non-Fiscal Rewards and Incentives. – The Department of Finance 
(DOF), the DILG, and the DTI shall establish mechanisms that will provide 
fiscal or non-fiscal rewards and incentives allowed under existing laws, to 
encourage manufacturers, importers, sellers, and end-users to participate in 
the programs geared towards achieving the objectives of the Plan. 
 
SEC. 6. Compostable Plastic. – Producers, importers, and commercial establishments may 
provide compostable plastic products to their consumers. The plastic product shall have a 
visible logo identifying that it is compostable. The manufacturing date and name of 
manufacturer, importer, and distributor hall be labelled as well. 
 
The DTI, in coordination with the DENR, DOST, leagues of local government units (LGUs), 
NSWMC, and other government and private agencies and organizations concerned shall 
promulgate the appropriate Philippine National Standard (PNS) for compostable plastic 
products within six (6) months from the effectivity of this Act. Recoverability, recycling, or 
reprocessing value of these products into other useful materials or commodities shall likewise 
be explored by the DTI. 
 
 
SEC. 7. Responsibility of Producers and Importers. – Within two (2) years following the 
effectivity of this Act, producers and importers of single-use plastic products, regardless of 
whether compostable or recyclable, shall establish and start phasing in the extended producers’ 
responsibility programs, aimed at effectively preventing plastic wastes from leaking to the 
environment. To achieve the purposes of this section, the producers and importers shall 


incorporate themselves in accordance with Republic Act No. 11232, otherwise known as the 
“Revised Corporation Code of the Philippines,” to implement the extended producers’ 
responsibility programs that may include the following activities: 
 
(a) Recovery schemes for plastic wastes through redemption, buy-back, 
offsetting, or any model or strategies that will efficiently effect high 
retrievability and recyclability; 
(b) Transportation of recovered plastic wastes to the appropriate composting, 
recycling, and other diversion or disposal sites in the country; 
(c) Cleanup of plastic wastes leaked to coastal areas, public roads, and other 
sites; and 
(d) Establishment of recycling, composting, thermal treatment, and other wastes 
diversion or disposal facilities of commercial or industrial scale for plastic 
products, when investment therein is viable. 
 
For this purpose, each producer or importer shall recover or offset and divert into value chains 
and value-adding useful products, whenever possible, at least fifty percent (50%) of their 
single-use plastic product footprint, three (3) years after the effectivity of this Act: Provided, 
That the DENR, upon the review and recommendation of the NSWMC, shall gradually increase 
the percentage until a one hundred percent (100%) recovery or offsetting of their single-use 
plastic product footprint is achieved five (5) years following the effectivity of this Act. 
 
SEC. 8. Responsibility of Commercial Establishments. – Sixty (60) days after the effectivity 
of this Act, commercial establishments shall undertake the following activities: 
 
(a) Promote the use of highly reusable, recyclable, and retrievable products in 
their establishments, or make available for sale locally-made products, such 
as bayong, buli, and other reusable containers and bags that are made of 
abaca, water lily, and other organic or compostable materials or reusable or 
recyclable containers that promote their circular economy; 
 
(b) Charge their customers a minimum fee of Five pesos (P5.00) for every 
single-use plastic bag: Provided, That the imposition of the minimum fee 
shall not preclude the LGUs from imposing other fees and charges on the 
use of plastic bags; 
 
(c) Charge take-out food or delivery services a minimum fee of Five pesos 
(P5.00) for every single-use plastic product provided, regardless of whether 
it is a disposable or compostable alternative; and 
 
(d) Establish an effective in-store recovery program that will facilitate and 
encourage customer return of their used plastic products to the commercial 
establishment, and implement the recovery scheme established pursuant to 
Section 7 of this Act. 
 


The fees collected pursuant to paragraphs (b) and (c) shall be reflected in the receipts. The DOF 
shall prescribe the rules and regulations to be issued to implement this section with respect to 
the collection, recording, and remittance of fees: Provided, That fifty percent (50%) of the said 
fees shall be remitted to the National Government and deposited to the National Solid Waste 
Management Fund pursuant to Section 46 of Republic Act No. 9003, while the other fifty 
percent (50%) shall be remitted to the barangay where the fee was collected, to finance 
exclusively their solid waste management programs. 
 
SEC. 9. Lead Agency. – The DENR, in coordination with the NSWMC, unless otherwise 
provided herein, shall be the primary government agency responsible for the implementation 
of this Act. 
 
SEC. 10. Monitoring and Market Inspections. – The DENR and the DTI shall, in 
coordination with the LGUs and local law enforcement agencies, instigate the regular and 
routine inspection and monitoring of the point-of-sale stores and the facilities of commercial 
establishments, producers, and importers, to determine compliance with this Act. Inspection 
and monitoring shall include the following: 
 
(a) Entry or access to the premises of operation and business, including storage rooms and 
stockrooms; 
 
(b) Inspection of off-site storage facilities, distribution centers, and trans shipment points; and 
 
(c) Inspection of the recovery, recycling, treatment, and disposal facilities, to determine if 
residual plastic products are being properly diverted and disposed of. 
 
 
SEC. 11. Public Access to Information. – The public shall have access to records, reports, or 
information concerning the implementation and mandates of this Act. 
 
The said documents shall be made available for inspection or reproduction during normal 
business hours: Provided, That the DENR, the DTI or concerned LGU may consider 
confidential a record, report, or information, or particular portions thereof, and shall therefore 
not be made public when such would divulge trade secrets, production, or sales figures, or 
methods, production, or processes unique to the manufacturer, seller, or distributor, or would 
otherwise tend to adversely affect the competitive position of such manufacturer. 
 
SEC. 12. Information and Education Campaign. – The DENR, in coordination with the 
LGUs, the DILG, the DTI, the DepEd, the Commission on Higher Education (CHED), the 
Philippine Information Agency (PIA), and other private or nongovernment organizations and 
concerned agencies, shall conduct a continuing IEC on the proper implementation of this Act, 
including the necessity to regulate plastic products in the country, in relation to our 
environment. 
 
The said IEC shall be incorporated in the public IEC under Section 55 of Republic Act No. 
9003, otherwise known as the “Ecological Solid Waste Management Act of 2000.” 


 
SEC. 13. Linkage Mechanisms. – The DENR and the NSWMC, in coordination with the DTI, 
may consult, and enter into an agreement with other government agencies, LGUs, or with 
concerned non-governmental organizations (NGOs) or people’s organizations (Pos), or private 
enterprises in the furtherance of the objectives of this Act. 
 
SEC. 14. Role of the National Solid Waste Management Commission. – The NSWMC, 
created pursuant to Section 4 of Republic Act No. 9003 shall, in addition to its functions under 
the said law, aid and assist in the implementation of this Act. 
 
The NSWMC shall, in partnership with research institutions and academic communities, 
conduct relevant studies to realize the harmonious implementation of this Act with Republic 
Act No. 9003. It shall also ensure that the provisions of this Act are made part of the programs 
being implemented 
under Republic Act No. 9512, otherwise known as the “National Environmental Awareness 
and Education Act of 2008.” 
 
The DENR shall provide the necessary financial and manpower resources to enable the 
NSWMC to perform its additional functions under this Act. 
 
SEC. 15. Role of LGUs. – The LGUs shall be primarily responsible for the implementation 
and/or monitoring of compliance with wastes segregation, collection, recovery, transport, 
recycling, and disposal of plastic products. The LGUs may enjoin the participation of other 
concerned government agencies, private entities, and industries for this purpose. 
 
The DENR shall, in coordination with the NSWMC and the DOST, provide the LGUs with 
technical assistance, trainings, and continuing capability-building programs to attain the 
objectives of this Act. 
 
SEC. 16. Fines and Penalties. – Deliberate violations of Sections 3, 4, 6, 7, 8, 14, and 15 of 
this Act, and the falsification of documents required pursuant to this Act, or misrepresentation 
of persons producing, importing, or distributing single-use plastic products, and commercial 
establishments shall be penalized in the following manner: 
 
(a) Large, Medium, and Small Enterprises: 
 
(1) A fine of not less than Two hundred fifty thousand pesos (P250,000.00) but 
not exceeding Five hundred thousand pesos (P500,000.00) for the first 
offense; 
 
(2) A fine of not less than Five hundred thousand pesos (P500,000.00) but not 
exceeding Seven hundred fifty thousand pesos (P750,000.00) for the second 
offense; and 
 


(3) A fine of not less than Seven hundred fifty thousand pesos (P750,000.00) 
but not exceeding One million pesos (P1,000,000.00) and automatic 
revocation of its business permit for the third offense. 
 
(b) Micro Enterprises, and Other Smaller Businesses: 
 
(1) A fine of not less than Fifty thousand pesos (P50,000.00) but not exceeding 
One hundred thousand pesos (P100,000.00) for the first offense; 
 
(2) A fine of not less than One hundred thousand pesos (P100,000.00) but not 
exceeding Three hundred thousand pesos (P300,000.00) for the second 
offense; and 
 
(3) A fine of not less than Three hundred thousand pesos (P300,000.00) but not 
exceeding Five hundred thousand pesos (P500,000.00) and automatic 
revocation of its business permit for the third offense. 
 
The Pollution Adjudication Board of the DENR shall hear and adjudicate cases of violations 
or offenses in this section, and impose appropriate fines therefor. For purposes of the 
imposition of appropriate fines hereof, the DTI shall establish the classification of commercial 
establishments based on their capitalization. 
 
Forty percent (40%) of the fines collected under this Act shall be allocated to or retained by 
the barangay where the fined prohibited acts are committed in order to finance the solid waste 
management of said unit 
 
SEC. 17. Administrative Action. – Without prejudice to the right of any person to file an 
administrative action, the DENR shall, on its own instance or upon verified complaint by any 
person, institute administrative proceedings in the proper forum against any natural or juridical 
person who violates any of the provisions of this Act with respect to standards and limitations 
provided by this Act, or such order, rule, or regulation issued by the DENR pursuant thereto. 
 
 
SEC. 18. Independence of Action. – The filing of an administrative suit against any person 
or entity does not preclude the right of any other person to file any criminal or civil action. 
 
SEC. 19. Joint Congressional Oversight Committee. – The Joint Congressional Oversight 
Committee, created under Section 60 of Republic Act No. 9003, shall likewise monitor the 
implementation of this Act and review the rules and regulations promulgated by the DENR to 
implement this Act. The Joint Committee shall be cochaired by the Chairpersons of the House 
Committee on Ecology and the Senate Committee on Environment. 
 
SEC. 20. Citizen’s Suit. – Any citizen can file an appropriate civil, criminal, or administrative 
action in the proper courts or bodies against: any person who violates or fails to comply with 
the provisions of this Act and its IRR; the department or other implementing agencies with 
respect to orders, regulations, and issuances inconsistent with this Act; and any public officer 


who willfully or grossly neglects the performance of an act specifically enjoined as a duty by 
this Act or its IRR, or abuses the authority vested upon him in the performance of duty, or in 
any manner improperly performs the duties assigned under this Act or its IRR: Provided, 
however, That no suit can be filed until after a thirty (30)- day notice has been given to the 
public officer and the alleged violator concerned and no appropriate action has been taken 
thereon. With this, free and accessible legal help should be given to individual persons who 
shall file a lawsuit under this Act. 
 
SEC. 21. Implementing Rules and Regulations. – The DENR, in coordination with the 
NSWMC, DTI, DOST, and other relevant government agencies and organizations, shall 
promulgate the IRR governing this Act within six (6) months from its effectivity. 
 
SEC. 22. Separability Clause. – If, for any reason, any provision of this Act or part thereof is 
declared unconstitutional or invalid by a court of competent jurisdiction, the other provisions 
or parts hereof not affected shall remain in full force and effect. 
 
SEC. 23. Repealing Clause. – All laws, decrees, orders, issuances, ordinances, rules and 
regulations or parts thereof inconsistent with the provisions of this Act are hereby repealed or 
modified accordingly. 
 
SEC. 24. 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,