Bill revives ‘half-cup’ rice orders in restos

AMindanao lawmaker has proposed the re-introduction of “half-cup” orders of rice at fastfood joints and restaurants in response to the country's current rice supply woes.

Davao Oriental 2nd District Rep. Joel Mayo Almario authored and filed in the current 17th Congress House Bill (HB) No. 7034, otherwise known as the “Half-Cup Rice Act of 2018.”

Almario said the bill aims to achieve a fourfold goal of reducing food wastage, attaining self- sufficiency in rice production, lessening consumer expense, and promoting health through balanced eating.

“The food industry must do their part by offering portion sizes or half-cup rice servings,” he said in a statement. R7.2-B rice wasted annually Based on a Department of Agriculture-Philippine Rice Research Institute (DA-PhilRice) study, each Filipino wastes an average of two tablespoons of cooked rice each day.

When totaled, the amount is equivalent to 12 percent of the country’s annual rice imports or a whopping R7.2 billion annually.

“The current trend in rice consumption runs counter to the government response of importing rice to resolve the effects of inflation. Even if the supplies start pouring in, if there is too much wastage, then everything is for naught,” Almario pointed out.

Rice is the staple food of the Philippines, a country of over 100 million people.

It was recalled that popular fast-food establishments voluntarily introduced half-cup servings of rice in their menu years ago during a similar phase when the country's buffer stock of the grain wasn't as abundant.

However, customers slammed it as a profiteering move since orders of half-cup rice and one-cup rice cost the same.

In Almario's bill, he specified that the half-cup rice will be 50 percent cheaper than the full one-cup order.

“Rice in fast-food chains are now priced an average of P30 per cup. Should HB 7034 get the nod of both houses of Congress, the public can see a reduction of at least R15 in their daily expenses,” his statement read.

“Customers are forced to buy a whole cup of rice because that is all most restaurants offer, but not all customers can consume what they order. With the passage of this bill, consumers will be given the option to order only the amount of rice they can eat or what is within their budgets, ”Almario further said in justifying his measure.