, . 
,iel1ntl? 
SIXTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE REPUBLIC ) 
i\)ff,;,..r HI' ,j;"tT.tn'~ 
OF THE PHILIPPINES 
) 
First Regular Session 
) 
T" 
l\llG 29 :' 5 :1C1 
SENATE 
S. No. 
1442 
Introduced by Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
The Constitution, Article 2, Section 15 provides: 
The State shall protect and promote the right to 
health of the people and instill health consciousness 
among them. 
The Constitution, Article 13, Section 12 provides: 
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. 
Seafood is consumed all over the world. It provides the world's prime source 
of high-quality protein: one billion people rely on seafood as their primary source 
of animal protein. As the most traded food commodity worldwide, seafood has to 
be labeled correctly in order to protect consumers' health. 
It is importallt for customers to be guaranteed of the quality of a product and 
assured that it has been processed in accordance with internationally accepted 
standards of cleanliness and hygiene which preserve the nutritional value of the 
product. However, according to US FDA reports, due to globalization, fraud in 
labeling is becoming increasingly common in seafood trade. 
As we noticed seafood is poorly labeled compared with the most fooa 
products. In the case of meat for example, consumers generally are informed of the 


species and cut of the meat, and may get information on where the meat was 
produced or how it was grow. In contrast, consumers often do not even know 
which species of seafood they purchase, nor its origin, nor how it was caught, and 
processed (e.g. smoked fish, dried fish and locally named as "bagoong" sold in wet 
markets). 
There is a growing concem among consumers as to the safety, nutritional 
value, and environmental 'friendliness' of the food they purchase. It is also 
important to know if the food contains potential allergens. This new nutritional and 
comprehensive detail labeling design gives people consistent information to help 
consumers make healthier choices in their diet, and avoid food poisoning caused 
by eating contaminated seafood. For the local produce seafood, the place of origin 
from which the seafood was caught should be stated. The bill requires that large 
retailers (such as supermarkets) selling fresh or frozen fish indicate the country or 
province from which the fish came from and whether it is wild-caught or farm-
raised, whether it was treated with any substance other than water, and other 
information. 
This bill, which shall require· the comprehensive labeling of seafood soltl 
commercially, is intended to strengthen traceability - the ability to trace fisheries 
products from sea to market and allow consumers to choose their seafood 
according to specific criteria that might be of concem to them. This bill provides 
penalties for violations of this Act. 
~. 


SIXTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE REPUBLIC ) 
'sctllliP 
d\\if,;. "f HI' ~",rt"'~ 
OF THE PHILIPPINES 
) 
First Regular Session 
) 
'13 
~UG29 P5:10 
SENATE 
S. No. 
1442 
Introduced by Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago 
1 
AN ACT 
2 
TO REQUIRE COMPREHENSIVE DETAIL LABELING OF SEAFOOD 
3 
SOLD IN THE PHILIPPINES AND PROVIDE PENAL TIES FOR 
4 
VIOLATIONS OF THE LABELING REQUIREMENTS 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
Philippines in Congress assembled: 
5 
SECTION 1. Short Title. - This Act shall be known as the "Comprehensive 
6 
Detail Seafood Labeling System" 
7 
SECTION 2. Definitions. -For purposes of this Act, the term: 
8 
(1) "Seafood" means, any form of sea life regarded as food by 
9 
humans. Seafood prominently includes fish and shellfish. 
10 
(2) "Fresh water seafood" means, the term "seafood" is extended 
11 
to fresh water organisms eaten by humans, so all edible aquatic 
12 
life may be referred to as seafood 
13 
(3) "Canned and Bottled Seafood" means preserve by sealing in a 
14 
can, jar, frozen or packed in ice of every kind and character. 
15 
(4) "Retailer" means person engaged in the business of selling 
16 
consumer products directly to consumers. 
17 
SECTION 3. Indication of Country of Origin oflmported and Local Seafood. 
18 
(l)NOTICE OF COUNTRYIREGION OF ORIGIN REQUIRED - A 
19 
retailer of imported or local produce seafood into the Philippines, 
20 
shall inform consumers, at the fmal point of sale of the imported or 
21 
local seafood to consumers, of the country of origin of the imported 
22 
seafood or what place it came from if it was locally caught. 
23 


1 
(2) METHOD OF NOTIFICATION-
2 
(A) IN GENERAL - The infonnation required by subsection (1) 
3 
may be provided to consumers by means of a label, stamp, mark, 
4 
placard, or other clear and visible sign on the imported seafood or on the 
5 
package, display, holding unit, or bin containing the seafood at the final 
6 
point of sale to consumers. 
7 
(B) LABELED COMMODITIES - If the imported seafood is 
8 
already individually labeled regarding country of origin by the packer, 
9 
importer, or another person, the retailer shall not be required to provide 
10 
any additional information to comply with this Section. 
11 
(1) If seafood has been previously frozen, treated with any 
12 
substance (other than ice or water) that may affect the true weight 
13 
of the seafood, or processed in a country other than that in which 
14 
it was landed or harvested, by any harvester, processor, 
15 
distributor, or retailer, such infonnation shall be included in the 
16 
labeling of, or otherwise accompany, the seafood through 
17 
processing, distribution, and final sale. 
18 
(2) If the seafood was farm-raised, that information, along with 
19 
information regarding the country of cultivation, the location of 
20 
the aquaculture production area, and the method of cultivation, 
21 
shall be included in the labeling of, or otherwise accompany, the 
22 
seafood through processing, distribution, and final sale. 
23 
(3) With respect to any infonnation required by paragraph (1) or 
24 
(2) to be included in the labeling of, or otherwise accompany, 
25 
seafood, an importer, processor, distributor, or retailer (including a 
26 
restaurant) may satisty such requirement by making the 
27 
infOlmation available upon request--
28 
(A) to anyone purchasing the seafood; and 
29 
(B) to any national, provincial, or local official authorized 
30 
to conduct inspections of--
31 
(i) seafood or any facility that processes or sells 
32 
. seafood. 


1 
2 
3 
4 
5 
6 
7 
(4) No importer, processor, distributor, or retailer may be found to 
be in violation of the requirements under this subsection for 
unknowingly selling a product that was already mislabeled upon 
receipt, provided that the importer, processor, distributor, or 
retailer 
can 
provide 
the 
required 
product 
traceability 
documentation. 
8 
(3) APPLICATION OF SECTION - This Act shall apply with respect to 
9 
the seafood! imported and local produce in the Philippines after the end 
10 
of the 6- month period beginning on the date of the enactment of this 
11 
Act. 
12 
13 
SECTION 4. Regulations. - Not later than six (6) months after the enactment 
14 
of this Act, the Department Trade and Industry (DTI) shall promulgate rules 
15 
and regulations to carry out the provisions on this Act. 
16 
17 
SECTION 5. Lead Agency. - The Department Trade and Industry (DTI) in 
18 
coordination with the Department of Health (DOH) and the Food and Drug 
19 
Administration (FDA) shall issue the necessary rules and regulations for 
20 
effective implementation ofthe Act. 
21 
22 
SECTION 6. Penalties. - Any person who shall violate any provision of this 
23 
Act shall upon conviction, be subject to a fine of not less than One Thousand 
24 
Pesos (PIO,OOO.OO) but not more than Ten Thousand Pesos (P50,OOO.OO) or 
25 
imprisonment of not less than two (2) months but not more than one (l) year, 
26 
or both upon the discretion of the court. If the offender is an alien, he shall be 
27 
deported after service of sentence and payment of line without further 
28 
deportation proceedings. 
29 
30 
SECTION 7. Separability Clause. - If any provision or part hereof, is held 
31 
invalid or unconstitutional, the remainder of the law of the provision not 
32 
otherwise affected shall remain valid and subsisting. 
33 


· . 
1 
SECTION 8. Repealing Clause. - Any law, presidential decree or issuance, 
2 
executive order, letter of instruction, administrative order, male or regulation 
3 
contrary to or inconsistent with the provisions of this Act is hereby repealed, 
4 
modified or amended accordingly. 
5 
6 
SECTION 9. Effectivity Clause. - This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days 
7 
after its publication in at least two (2) newspapers of general circulation. 
s 
9 
Approved,