The Department of Agriculture (DA) is reviving the proposal for a “half-rice” bill, which would encourage restaurants to offer smaller rice portions to reduce food waste.
According to the Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice), 255,000 metric tons of rice are wasted annually—a volume that could feed 2.79 million Filipinos for an entire year. The initiative, supported by PhilRice, aims to make half-rice servings available in establishments nationwide.
House Deputy Majority Leader Janette Garin of Iloilo recently filed House Bill 9536, known as the Rice Waste Reduction Act of 2023. The bill seeks to institutionalize this practice, reducing wastage while addressing hunger and food insecurity.
