WHEREAS, the government is desirous of improving the nutritional value of rice as a staple food;

WHEREAS, brown rice and regular milled rice contain higher quantities of nutrients like protein, vitamins and minerals needed by the human body.

WHEREAS, consistent with the nutrition program of the government it is imperative to regulate the milling of rice;

NOW, THEREFORE, I, FERDINAND E. MARCOS, President of the Philippines, by virtue of the powers vested in me by the Constitution, do hereby decree and order and make as part of the law of the land, the following:

SECTION 1. The milling of overmilled rice (rice with all the bran removed) is hereby prohibited. All rice mill owners/operators are required to mill a minimum of 10% of all palay owned and/or received by them for milling into brown rice (rice with only the hull removed) and the balance into tegular milled rice only.

SEC. 2. Ricemill 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; provided, further, that if after the lapse of this grace period, any mill owner/operator who has not improved his mill to enable it to mill brown rice and regular milled rice shall not be licensed by N.G.A.

SEC. 3. 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 National Grains Authority.

SEC. 4. 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.

SEC. 5. The National Grains Authority shall promulgate such rules and regulations for the effective implementation of this decree.

SEC. 6. 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 his 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. 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 laible for the offense committed and subject to the penalties specified herein.

SEC. 7. Any provision of law, order, decree or letters of instruction inconsistent with the provisions of this decree is hereby repealed or modified accordingly.

SEC. 8. This decree shall take effect thirty (30) days from date hereof.

Done in the City of Manila, this 12th day of October, in the year of Our Lord, nineteen hundred and seventy-seven.

			(Sgd.) FERDINAND E. MARCOS President of the Philippines
	By the President:
	(Sgd.) JUAN C. TUVERA
		Presidential Executive Assistant