G/LIC/Q/PHL/5  
 
13 July 2021  
(21-5484) Page: 1/5 
Committee on Import Licensing  Original: English  
 
 
IMPORT LICENSING SYSTEM OF THE PHILIPPINES  
REPLIES BY THE PHILIPPINES TO THE QUESTIONS FROM THE UNITED STATES REGARDING 
SANITARY AND PHYTOSANITARY IMPORT CLEARANCE (SPSIC) REGIME1 
The following communication, dated 8 July 2021, is being circulated at the request of the delegation 
of the Philippines.  
 
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Question 1  
Can the Philippines please confirm the purpose of the SPSIC system, and provide the 
underlying laws, regulations, and guidelines that form the basis for SPS IC issuance by the 
Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI), Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR), and 
Bureau of Plant Industry (BPI) ? 
Answer:  
SPS import clearance is a system which ensures that importation of agricultural and fishery 
commodities compli es with existing rules, regulations, and requirements, as cleared by the DA 
regulatory agencies, to ensure that import commodities are safe to humans and animals for food 
and feed, and will not cause the entry, establishment and spread of plant pests and a nimal diseases. 
The SPSIC  document also prescribes the post -entry conditions to be complied with by the importer 
in order to maintain the safety, quality, fitness, and suitability of the imported products or 
commodities for their intended purposes.  
The underlying laws, regulations, and guidelines that form the basis for SPSIC issuance by the BAI, 
BFAR and BPI are the following:  
1. Presidential Decree No. 1433: Promulgating the Plant Quarantine Law of 1978, thereby 
Revising and Consolidating Existing Plant Quarantine Laws to Further Improve and Strengthen 
the Plant Quarantine Service of the Bureau of Plant Industry ; 
2. Act No. 3639: An Act Creating the Bureau of Animal Industry, Defining Its Powers and 
Functions, providing for Its P ersonnel; Making Appropriation for Its Organization and 
Operation; Changing the Name of the Bureau of Agriculture to Bureau of Plant Industry, and 
Other Purposes ; 
3. Republic Act No. 8550: An Act Providing for the Development, Management and Conservation 
of the Fisheries and Aquatic Resources, Integrating All Laws Pertinent Thereto, and for Other 
Purposes (amended by Republic Act No. 10654) ; 
4. Republic Act No. 10611: An Act to Strengthen the  Food Safety Regulatory System in the 
Country to  Protect Consumer  Health  and Facilitate Market  Access of Local Foods and Food 
Products, and for  Other Purposes ; and  
 
1 Circulated on 8 April 2021 in document G/LIC/Q/PHL/4.  G/LIC/Q/PHL/5  
 
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  5. Department of Agriculture Administrative Order No. 8, series of 2009: Rules and Regulations 
Governing the Importation  of Agricultural and Fish and Fishery/Aquatic P roducts, Fertilizers, 
Pesticides, and Other Agricultural Chemicals, Veterinary Drugs, and Biological Products into 
the Philippines (amended by Administrative Order No. 9, series of 2010) . 
Question 2  
What is the role of the Secretary of Agriculture and the Bureaus in reviewing and 
approving the SPSICs?  
Answer:  
The review and approval of the SPSICs are mandated by the Secretary of Agriculture to the bureaus, 
particularly the Bureau of Animal Industry, Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources, and Bureau 
of Plant Industry, and the Fertilizer and Pesticide Authority.  
Question  3  
In the annual  notification,  the Philippines states that SPSICs issued by BAI, BFAR, and 
BPI are required prior to importation.  
(a) For each of these three Bureaus, please de scribe the procedure and timeline for 
submitting the SPSIC application and receiving an SPSIC approval, including in 
relation to the loading of the product in the country of origin for shipment.  
Answer:  
The three bureaus have the same procedure in processi ng SPSIC application. Upon receipt of the 
application filed by the importer, bureau officers will review and technically assess the documents 
submitted to support the application for completeness, veracity, and compliance with import 
requirements. Once the  documents are found to be in order and compliance is verified, the 
application will be recommended for approval. For applications involving fisheries and fishery/aquatic 
products, BFAR requires on -site verification and inspection of facilities prior to de termining decision 
on the application. The procedures of BPI, BAI, and BFAR take 25 minutes, up to three working days, 
and a little more than five working days, respectively; provided that, compliance with requirements 
is objectively demonstrated. Otherwis e, the procedures can take longer than usual.  
(b) Can applications for SPSIC be made when the product has left the country of origin 
for the export market, either directly end route to the Philippines or redirected to 
the Philippines from another destinati on?  
Answer:  
The application for SPSIC must be made prior to shipment from the country of origin.   
(c) What is the reason for requiring product to be loaded only in the country of origin?  
Answer:  
The SPS requirements for the importation of certain commodi ties are based on the outcome of risk 
assessment of such commodity as well as the control and certification system of the competent 
authority of the origin country. The requirements are specific to the SPS characteristics and risk 
profile of the country of  origin. The Philippines allows importation of commodities and loading of 
such commodities only from origin countries which have undergone and passed the 
accreditation/recognition process. This rule is to ensure compliance with specific food safety and 
biosecurity requirements, avoid misdeclaration and co -mingling, and facilitate proper consignment 
traceability.  G/LIC/Q/PHL/5  
 
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  Question 4  
We understand that SPSICs are issued on a shipment -by-shipment basis. What is the 
purpose of limiting import clearances to a single shi pment?   
Answer:  
SPSICs are limited to a single shipment. This is administratively manageable to DA agencies in 
verifying compliance of shipments with SPS requirements as well as in emergency cases such as 
outbreaks of transboundary animal diseases in the country of origin .  
Question 5  
How does the Philippines determine the validity period and must -ship-out dates for a 
particular commodity?   
Answer:  
DA AO 9, s. 2010 prescribes the "must ship out by " date requirement, which also determines the 
validity of SPSICs. SPSICs are valid so long as the ship -out date of the product/consignment is on 
the last day or within the following specified period which is reckoned from the date of SPSIC 
issuance:  
- 15 da ys for live milk fish ; 
- 30 days for other live, fresh, chilled or frozen fish and fishery/aquatic products [2] ; 
- 20 days for fresh and chilled fruits and vegetables ; 
- 60 days for eggs, milk and dairy products; animal feeds and feed ingredients; other pr oducts 
of animal origin i.e. embryos and semen; frozen fruits and vegetables ; 
- 60 days for live animals, meat and meat products, veterinary drug and products, fertilizers, 
pesticides and other agricultural chemicals ; 
- 90 days for veterinary biological pr oducts ; and  
- 60 days for all other products not specified immediately above . 
Question 6  
What is the status of Administrative Order (AO) 24 Series of 2020:  Additional Guidelines 
on the Approval of SPSIC for Meat Commodities?  Has the DA rescinded this AO?   Is the 
regulation based on existing regulation(s) and if so, which one(s)?  
Answer:  
The order is held in abeyance. This additional guideline is based on the mandates under the Meat 
Inspection Code of the Philippines (Republic Act No. 9296) and Food Safety  Act (Republic Act 
No. 10611).  
Question 7  
Will the Philippines notify the Committee on Import Licensing and other appropriate 
WTO  Committees regarding the following DA regulations: Administrative Circular 12, 
Series of 2017; Department Circular No. 06, Series of 2020; Memorandum Order No. 28, 
Series of 2019; Memorandum Order No. 30, Series of 2020, Memorandum Circulars 38, 39, 
and 43, Series of 2020; Republic Act No. 10654; Fisheries Administrative Order 259, Series 
of 2018; Special Order No. 284, Series  of 2020; Special Order 1077, Series of 2020; Special 
Order 705, Series of 2020, and others that have been issued but not notified?  
Answer:  
The Philippines will submit the notifications of the aforementioned regulations to the Committee on 
Import Licensing  and other appropriate WTO committees.  G/LIC/Q/PHL/5  
 
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  Question 8  
Will the Philippines update the questionnaire on import licensing with the aforementioned 
regulations?  
Answer:  
The Philippines, in coordination with the relevant regulatory agencies of the Department of 
Agriculture will update the questionnaire on import licensing based on the issued regulations 
mentioned in Item No. 7.  
Question 9  
In the event of the rejection of a SPSIC application, are all applicants informed of the 
reason for the disapproval?  Do applicants have rights to appeal?   
Answer:  
All applicants are informed of the reason in the event of disapproval of SPSIC application. Applicants 
have the right to appeal as provided for in Section IV of AO 9, s. 2010.  
Question 10  
Can the Philippines please provide the number of SPSICs issued, by month, for the last 
three years for rice, corn, feed wheat, and whole chicken?  
Answer:  
SPSICs issued for select commodities, 2018 -2020, by month  
Year/Month  Rice Corn  Feed Wheat  Whole Chicken  
2018  - 1,119  2,954  19 
January  - 56 126 1 
February  - 126 237 - 
March  - 131 177 - 
April - 101 155 - 
May - 108 146 - 
June - 52 144 - 
July - 78 384 - 
August  - 104 649 1 
September  - 83 211 1 
October  - 119 258 13 
November  - 77 296 3 
December  - 84 171 - 
2019  4,069  1,247  1,910  44 
January  - 97 112 2 
February  - 57 149 1 
March  497 84 141 - 
April 386 131 84 - 
May 359 171 109 - 
June 306 125 124 - 
July 775 213 163 1 
August  687 75 286 - 
September  - 62 120 6 
October  - 68 246 10 
November  702 58 165 19 
December  357 106 165 5 
2020  5,535  1,040  1,864  9 
January  801 207 112 5 
February  1,076  134 149 1 
March  679 100 141 - 
April 680 89 84 1 
May 513 101 109 1 G/LIC/Q/PHL/5  
 
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  Year/Month  Rice Corn  Feed Wheat  Whole Chicken  
June 177 80 124 1 
July 299 68 163 - 
August  365 91 286 - 
September  14 75 120 - 
October  - 41 246 - 
November  - 20 165 - 
December  931 34 165 - 
 
 
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