Waste not, want not, goes the old saying.
On that premise, two administration lawmakers on Tuesday vowed to file a measure that would address the P8.4-billion worth of rice that Filipinos waste every year.
Mark Llandro Mendoza of Batangas and Agapito Guanlao of Butil, chairmen of the House committees on agriculture, and on food security, respectively, said their proposal intended to address the increasing rice prices amid uncertainly regarding rice supplies.
Once enacted, the bill would require restaurants and similar establishments to serve rice in one-half cup portions, instead of one cup each serving.
Citing the International Rice Research Institute, Mendoza said Filipinos waste rice worth at least P23 million every day, or about P8.4 billion a year.