| PHOTOS: FILE / DA-PHILRICE Official facebook page
MANILA, Philippines — A bill that seeks to penalize restaurants for refusing to serve half a cup may be revived, according to officials from the Department of Agriculture Philippine Rice Research Institute (DA-PhilRice) on Thursday.
Senate Bill No. 1863 was filed by President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. when he was a senator during the 16th Congress.
“Mayroon din po tayong proposed senate bill before by President BBM (Bongbong Marcos) noong senator pa siya na half cup of rice – hindi lang siya naipasa as batas kasi natabunan siya. Pero we’ll try revive that and to have another senate bill siguro para sa iyong half cup rice,” said Dr. Karen Eloisa Barroga, the Deputy Executive Director of DA-PhilRice.
(We had a proposed senate bill from President BBM when he was a senator about a half cup of rice—it was not passed as a law because it was set aside. But we will try to revive that and maybe have another senate bill for that half-cup rice.)
In the bill, restaurants, hotel inns, and other similar institutions will be penalized a fine of P20,000 for their first offense, P50,000 for the second offense, and P100,000 for the third and following offenses.
According to Dr. Hazel Antonio, the Development Communications Head of the DA-PhilRice, 46 local government units have ordinances to allow half a cup of rice.
These cities include Quezon City, Manila, Davao City, Cebu, and Puerto Princesa, among others, said Antonio.