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PRINCIPAL AUTHORS: HON. MARLON M. LACSON, Majority Floor Leader, Hon. Leilani Marie H. Lacuna, Hon. Elizabeth Z. Rivera, Hon. Joel M. Par, Hon. Priscilla Marie T. Abante, Hon. Joey S. Hizon III, Hon. Roberto R. Ortega, Jr., Hon. Josefina M. Siscar, Hon. Antonio G. Capistrano, Hon. Science A. Reyes, Hon. Arlene L. Chua, Hon. John Marvin C. Nieto, Hon. Arnold I. Atienza, Hon. Ma. Asuncion G. Fugoso, Hon. Numero G. Lim, Hon. Ramon M. Robles, Hon. Don Juan "DJ" Bagatsing, Hon. Roberto D. Asilo, Hon. Irma C. Alfonso-Juson, Hon. Ruben F. Buenaventura, HON. ERNESTO M. DIONISIO, JR., Acting Majority Floor Leader, HON. EDWARD V.P. MACEDA, President Pro-Tempore and Acting Presiding Officer and HON. FRANCISCO "Isko Moreno" DOMAGOSO, Vice-Mayor and Presiding Officer

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EXPLANATORY NOTE

As Asians, we Filipinos partake of cooked rice as our staple food. Rice is the grain derived from palay that we see in seas of green in the rice paddies all across the countryside foremost of which is the world heritage, Banaue rice terraces.

There used to be a time when palay grew in wild abundance in times past when the countryside was less populated than it is today.

But times have changed. Our population has increased by leaps and bounds, putting a strain on government as it battles to deliver services to every nook and cranny of the nation.

As we become constricted in the cities, many farmlands are converted into subdivisions and housing projects for the fortunate and the less fortunate, compromising our food security.

Therefore, one step that we must embark on is to minimize wastage of our staple food. There are already losses in the millions of pesos every time the rainy season comes. Merciless typhoons and rampaging monsoon rains batter our rice fields, leveling and inundating hundreds of hectares and causing misery to farmers.

On top of this, a study by the Food and Nutrition Research Institute that every Filipino wastes about 2 tablespoons of cooked rice every meal. In 2010, our wasted rice was equivalent to 13% of the total rice imports of the same year amounting to PhP 6.2B or the consumption of nearly 2.6M Filipinos in a year.

This has prompted the Department of Agriculture to promote the responsible consumption of rice, as embodied in Presidential Proclamation No. 494 of His excellency, President Benigno S. Aquino III.

This is the tenor of the letter, dated 13 September 2013, of Engineer Lemuel R. Pagayunan, Manager, NCR of the National Food Authority, addressed to His Honor, Mayor Joseph Ejercito Estrada.

It calls for the passage of local legislation to this effect for apparently, this is better addressed by local governments than for it to be coursed through national legislation.

Hence, this proposal is submitted with the hope that this be given primordial consideration by the plenary.

Be it ordained by the City Council of Manila, in session assembled, THAT:

SECTION 1. All restaurants, eateries, hospital and school canteens and cafeterias, fast food chains, and all other similar businesses firms or institutions that serve meal prepared outside the home, including catering operations, shall hereby be required to serve half-cup rice servings in their menus.

SEC. 2. Penalty Clause. - Any person found violating or infringing this Ordinance shall be punished by a fine of Two Thousand Pesos (PhP. 2,000.00) or imprisonment of 3 days or both, such fine and imprisonment shall be at the discretion of the court.

SEC. 3. Effectivity Clause. - This Ordinance shall take effect upon its approval.

This Ordinance was finally enacted by the City Council of Manila on July 31, 2014.

PRESIDED BY:


ATTESTED:

      (Sgd.) LUCH R. GEMPIS, JR.
City Government Department Head III
      (Secretary to the City Council)

APPROVED BY HIS HONOR, THE MAYOR, ON 02 September 2014.


ATTESTED:

      (Sgd.) EDWARD S. SERAPIO
City Government Department Head III
             (Secretary to the Mayor)