Regulating The Milling Of Rice

Case Overview and Summary

Summary of Presidential Decree No. 1211

Regulating the Milling of Rice

- Objective: To improve the nutritional value of rice as a staple food by regulating the milling of rice. (Preamble)

- Prohibition on Overmilled Rice:
• The milling of overmilled rice (rice with all the bran removed) is prohibited. (Section 1)

- Milling Requirements:
• Rice mill owners/operators are required to mill a minimum of 10% of all palay (unhusked rice) owned and/or received by them into brown rice (rice with only the hull removed), and the balance into regular milled rice only. (Section 1)

- Temporary Permits for Mills without Milling Degree Control:
• Rice mill owners/operators whose mills are not equipped with the necessary mechanism or device to control the milling degree shall be given temporary permits for a period of one (1) year from the effectivity of this decree, and only for the purpose of servicing the monthly requirements of individual households. (Section 2)
• After the grace period of one (1) year, any mill owner/operator who has not improved their mill to enable it to mill brown rice and regular milled rice shall not be licensed by the National Grains Authority (NGA). (Section 2)

- Informational and Educational Campaign:
• The Department of Public Information shall require all sectors of the mass media to allocate spot time and/or space for the informational and educational campaign on brown rice and regular milled rice to be conducted by the NGA. (Section 3)
• The Department of Education and Culture and all other government agencies and/or instrumentalities, including all government-owned or controlled corporations, shall assist the NGA in this campaign. (Section 4)

- Implementation and Enforcement:
• The NGA shall promulgate rules and regulations for the effective implementation of this decree. (Section 5)
• Any violation of any provision of this decree and the rules and regulations to be promulgated pursuant herewith shall subject the offender to cancellation of their license and upon conviction, to imprisonment of not less than one (1) year nor more than two (2) years or by a fine ranging from Four Thousand to Six Thousand Pesos, or both, at the discretion of the court. (Section 6)
• If the offender is a corporation or a partnership, the President/General Manager and/or Managing Director or Managing Partner, as the case may be, shall be liable for the offense committed and subject to the penalties specified herein. (Section 6)

- Repealing Clause and Effectivity:
• Any provision of law, order, decree or letters of instruction inconsistent with the provisions of this decree is hereby repealed or modified accordingly. (Section 7)
• This decree shall take effect thirty (30) days from the date hereof. (Section 8)