MANILA - Six billion to eight billion pesos. This is the estimated amount of rice that goes to waste each year, according to the Philippine Rice Research Institute. PRRI said each Filipino throws away an average of 3 tablespoons of rice per day, which is about 3 kilos per year. If you do the math, that's about 23 million pesos worth of rice wasted each day or about six billion to eight billion pesos every year. The waste is happening amid the rising price of the food staple and the starvation being experienced by less fortunate Filipinos. An employee at an eatery said leftovers of rice end up being fed to pigs. He said the eatery gathers up to three pails of leftovers every afternoon. Some diners said some eateries give too much rice. Lawmakers have filed the Anti-Rice Wastage Act of 2013, which seeks to penalize the practice of some establishments refusing to serve order of rice from a customer if it is less than one cup. The Hotels and Restaurants Association of the Philippines is supporting the proposal. "My advice to the public is if you have leftover rice, don't be shy to have it wrapped because it will just be thrown out," said Hotel and Restaurants Association of the Philippines director Steve Tamayo. National Food Authority spokesman Rex Estoperez said establishments that offer "unlimited rice" should ask the customers if they want one cup or half a cup of rice. MORNINGS@ANC, January 22, 2014