MANILA, Aug. 4 (PNA) — Diners may soon expect to be served with free clean and safe water when they dine in restaurants and eatery outlets.
Rep. Evelio R. Leonardia (Lone District, Bacolod City) filed House Bill 5919, which mandates restaurants and food outlets to serve free safe and clean drinking water to their customers.
Leonardia said safe and clean drinking water is a basic human need and that everywhere, be in the house or outside of home, a person will need water to supplement his/her body.
“This is especially true when a person is, during and after, taking a meal or food in business establishments or outlets,” Leonardia said.
Leonardia said it has been the practice of some food establishments and eatery outlets not to serve drinking water or worse, they would yet sell this their customers.
Under the bill, all restaurants and food outlets are mandated to serve free safe and clean drinking water to their customers regardless whether the catered food service was for free or for monetary or valuable consideration.
Drinking water is defined under the measure as safe and clean water for human consumption either processed for its purification through distillation or in whatever means to obtain its purity, cleanliness and sanitation.
The bill mandates the Philippine Information Agency (PIA), in coordination with the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), the Department of Health (DOH) and the Department of Transportation and Communication (DOTC) to ensure the effective information dissemination of this Act.
The Leonardia proposal requires the restaurants and food outlets and all those covered in their definitions to post their notice of free safe and drinkable water service in the conspicuous place of their respective premises.
Violators face a fine of PHP10,000 and imprisonment of not more than six months or both. (PNA)