Los Baños OKs ‘half rice’ ordinance

LOS BAÑOS, Laguna, Philippines – The municipal council has passed an ordinance requiring restaurants and other public dining places in this town to limit the rice they serve to no more than half a cup.

Ordinance No. 2014-1319 aims to support the national government’s rice self-sufficiency program.

Authored by Councilor John Emmanuel Oliva, with Cesar Cabrera and Julius Molinawe as co-authors, the law requires food service establishments to include one-half cup of rice in their menu.

Los Baños Mayor Caesar Perez and the Laguna provincial council approved the ordinance.

The law covers businesses, institutions and companies engaged in food service, including restaurants, schools, offices, hospital cafeterias and food caterers.

It does not cover special or private parties such as weddings, birthdays, fiestas, banquets and other related events.

Violators will be fined P500 for the first offense; P1,000 and one month suspension of license for the second offense and P1,500 and permanent cancellation of license or permit to operate for the third.

In passing the ordinance, the council cited a 2008 data of the Department of Science and Technology-Food and Nutrition Research Institute showing that Filipinos waste an average of two tablespoons of cooked rice or nine grams of uncooked rice daily.