DAVAO CITY — Consumers in Davao City will soon have a choice in their rice consumption in restaurants and famous fast-food chains with the passage of the Half Rice Ordinance, now up for signature by Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio.
The Davao City Rice Conservation Ordinance or the Half Rice Ordinance was finally approved by the City Council. It requires all business establishments serving food to include a half-cup of rice in their menu with its price also set at half of the one-cup order.
Councilor Marissa Abella, chair of the City Council’s committee on agriculture and author of the ordinance, said the main goal of the law is to reduce rice wastage in the city since there are people who could hardly consume a cup of rice.
“Kanang parehas sa mga diabetic og mga senior citizens nga dili gani make-consume on one cup (There are people, just like those who have diabetes and senior citizens, who could not even consume a cup of rice),” she said.
Abella said some restaurants do not offer a half-cup rice order, leaving people with no choice but to order a full cup of rice. This is true in big fast-food chains.
“Let us say, sa mga edaran nga kanang dili ka consume, ang ma consume niya is ang half lang man, so, meaning katong nabilin waste na siya (Let us say, our elderly people who could not consume a cup of rice and could only eat half of it, this means that the remaining rice would be wasted),” she said.
For uniform serving, Abella said one cup of rice should be 180 grams. This will address complaints that some restaurants use a “star margarine” container while others use the normal cups to measure rice.
She said the stakeholders, even the big fast-food chains in the country, did not oppose the proposal during the three committee hearings she conducted prior to the approval.
“The last meeting was well-attended which the big fast-food chains in the country were present. So, they are now aware of this ordinance,” she said.
According to Abella, as soon as the mayor approves it, there will be an inspection of all establishments that serve meals to monitor whether they offer a half-cup rice order or not.
Abella said the inspection team will be led by the City Health Office and the City Agriculturist’s Office.
Under the ordinance, establishments that violate the law will be slapped a fine of PHP1,500 for the first offense, PHP3,000 and a month’s suspension of business permit for the second offense, PHP5,000 and “’permanent cancellation of business permit” for the third offense. (Armando Fenequito Jr/PNA)
