G/TBT/N/PHL/201  
 
9 November 2017  
(17-6085) Page: 1/2 
Committee on Technical Barriers to Trade  Original: English  
 
  
NOTIFICATION  
The following notification is being circulated in accordance with Article 10.6  
 
1. Notifying Member: PHILIPPINES   
If applicable, name of local government involved (Article 3.2 and 7.2):   
2. Agency responsible: Department of Agriculture – Bureau of Agriculture and Fisheries 
Standards  
Name and address (including telephone and fax numbers, email and website 
addresses, if available) of agency or authority designated to handle comments 
regarding the notification shall be indicated if different from above:   
Bureau of Agriculture and Fisheries Standards  
Department of Agriculture  
BPI Compound, Visayas Avenue  
Diliman, Quezon City, Philippines  
E-mail: info.dabafs@gmail.com ; accreditation.bafs@gmail.com   
Telephone No.: (632) 928 -8741 to 64 loc. 3301 -3319; 273 -2474 loc. 3318  
Website: www.bafs.da.gov.ph   
3. Notified under Article 2.9.2 [   ], 2.10.1 [   ], 5.6.2 [ X], 5.7.1 [   ], other:  
4. Products covered (HS or CCCN where applicable, otherwise national tariff 
heading. ICS numbers may be provided in addition, where applicable): 
ICS: 03.120.20  
5. Title, number of pages and language(s) of the notified document:  
Department Circular No. __  
Series of 2017  
Subject: Revised Guidelines for the Official Accreditation of Organic Certifying Bodies 
(OCB)  
(51 page(s), in English)  
6. Description of content: The guidelines for the official accreditation of Organic Certifying 
Bodies (OCB) are being amended to address the demands of the stakeholders of the 
organic agriculture industry. The revision intends to refine the official accredita tion 
procedure to further complement the Philippines' Department of Agriculture's initiatives 
under the National Organic Agriculture Program (NOAP).  
7. Objective and rationale, including the nature of urgent problems where 
applicable:  The provisions under  this Department Circular aim to provide the criteria, 
requirements and guidelines for the official accreditation of organic certifying bodies 
(OCBs), and ensure that officially accredited OCB implement the organic certification 
scheme in a competent, cons istent, and impartial manner. This Department Circular 
replaces D.C. No. 06 Series of 2015 in order to make the following changes:  
1. making accreditation to ISO/IEC 17065 optional instead of mandatory requirement G/TBT/N/PHL/201  
 
- 2 - 
 
  for official accreditation;  
2. inclusion of orga nic certification scheme for standardized certification protocols 
among OCBs; and  
3. improving the processes and mechanism for decisions relative to official 
accreditation (e.g. suspension, handling appeals and complaints, etc.)  
8. Relevant documents:   
 Department of Agriculture. 2013. Administrative Order No. 13, Series of 2013: 
Revision to Administrative Order No. 07, Series of 2011 Re Amendments to 
Administrative Order No. 13, Series of 2003, on the Guidelines in the Accreditation 
of Certifying Bodies (CBs) for Organic Agriculture . Quezon City, Philippines, 9pp  
 National Organic Program (NOP, USDA). 2015. Instruction: Enforcement of the 
USDA Organic Regulations Penalty Matrix . Washington, DC, 7pp.  
 Philippine Accreditation Bureau. 2011. Quality Procedure - Management System 
Accreditation - The Accreditation Process . Makati, Philippines. 17pp.  
9. Proposed date of adoption: - 
Proposed date of entry into force: - 
10. Final date for comments: 20 days from notification  
11. Texts available from: National enquiry point [X] or address, telephone and fax 
numbers and email and website addresses, if available, of other body:   
Office of the Director  
Bureau of Agriculture and Fisheries Standards  
Department of Agriculture  
BPI Compound, Visayas Avenue  
Diliman, Quezon City, Philippines  
E-mail: info.dabafs@gmail.com ; accreditation.bafs@gmail.com   
Telephone No.: (632) 928 -8741 to 64 loc. 3301 -3319; 273 -2474 loc. 3318  
Website: www.bafs.da.gov.ph   
 
Attached Copy: Department Circular No. ___ Series of 2017: Revised Guidelines for the 
Official Accreditation of Organic Certifying Bodies (OCB)  
 
https://members.wto.org/crnattachments/2017/TBT/PHL/17_5024_00_e.pdf