MANILA, Philippines - A bill has been filed in Congress, prohibiting malls and similar establishments from collecting fees for the use of their toilets by customers.
In filing Bill 6183, Rep. Eulogio Magsaysay of the party-list group Alliance of Volunteer Educators said some malls have copied the practice of their counterparts in many parts of Europe and the United States of charging toilet fees.
He said the Constitution mandates that the state should promote the provision of basic services for the enjoyment of all the people.
Under Bill 6183, entitled “Free Comfort Rooms Act of 2012,” no person or business establishment owner shall collect or solicit fees from any person for the use of comfort rooms or toilets within their premises.
The measure would penalize violators with a fine of P10,000 for first-time offenders and one-year imprisonment or a fine of P20,000 for second-time offenders.
The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) and local government units (LGUs) would be tasked to enforce the prohibition.