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paeO7 SEP 2016

Republic of the Philippines awe F

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES ss -) _

Quezon City, Metro Manila BY RN
Seventeenth Congress REGISTRATION UNIT
First Regular Session BILLS AND INDE X SERVICE

3538

HOUSE BILL NO,
Introduced by Representative Sharon S. Garin

EXPLANATORY NOTE

Touted as the national fruit of the country, the Philippine mango has rose to international
prominence due to its superior quality and taste than other varieties, It is one of the more
important fruit crops in the Philippines based on export volume and value, But although its
popularity has not waned, its production and development have dwindled over the years,
necessitating p.

cy intervention from the government.

Although the trend on area planted has consistently increased, reaching 188,139 hectares in
2009, the value and volume of production have fluctuated through the years. After breaching the
1,000,000 metric ton level in 2003, it went up and down year on year reaching 771,441 metric tons
in 2009 and rising slightly to 790,000 metric tons as of September 2010. As for the value of
production, mango has been posting negative growth rates (using current prices) due to its
decreasing value from P18.8 billion in 2008 to P17.2 billion in 2009 to P16.9 billion as of September
2010, The declining performance of the industry affect the livelihood of the 2.5 million farmers
dependent on the industry who are mostly small farmers engaged in backyard gardening,

There is no contest as to the gleaming opportunities for mangoes. It can be produced all-
year round in most parts of the country. It also has a high domestic and international demand and
ready and expanding export markets. However, its competitive edge is blunted by other varieties
from mango-producing countries such as Mexico, Australia, Thailand, and Vietnam due to a number
of obstacles to production.

One of the challenges faced by the industry is the predominance of backyard farms which
accordingly poses problems to quality control, Of the total area planted, 73% is owned by small
farmers. Furthermore, the industry is saddled by erratic and relatively low yield, susceptibility to
insect pests, diseases and disorders, short storage life, high freight cost, disaggregate sector, and
multi-layered marketing.



It is, thus, of great consequence, that we enact policies that would refresh and bolster the
competitiveness of the Philippine mango through lower production costs, improved phytosanitary
measures and quarantine protocols in line with Good Agricultural Practices (GAP), decreased post-
harvest losses, modernized techniques and technologies, comprehensive research and
development, and effective and concerted local and international marketing strategies.

While we still can, we must prune all the obstacles and challenges which threaten to rot the
mango industry unto its eventual downfall. The government must institute far-reaching policies
that would genuinely develop the national fruit’s productivity, marketability, and viability.

In view of the foregoing, the passage of this bill is earnestly sought.



Republic of the Philippines

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City, Metro Manila

Seventeenth Congress
First Regular Session

ara
HOUSE BILL NO. 3538

Introduced by Sharon S. Garin

AN ACT

TO PROMOTE THE PRODUCTION, PROCESSING, MARKETING AND
DISTRIBUTION OF PHILIPPINE MANGO, MANDATING THE CREATION OF A FRAMEWORK
FOR DEVELOPMENT PLAN, PROVIDING FUNDS THEREFOR, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES

Be it enacted by the Senate and the House of Representatives of the Philippines in Congress
assembled:

Section 1. Title. - This Act shall be known as the "Philippine Mango Development Act of
2016."

Section 2. Declaration of Policy. ~ It is hereby declared the policy of the State to develop and
promote a globally competitive mango industry with the objective of increasing production,
generating higher income for mango farmers, growers and traders and other stakeholders
through increased production of export quality fruits, instituting comprehensive research,
development and extension program provision, and_ modernizing post-harvest facilities and
techniques and implementing effective marketing and promotion strategies.

Section 3. Site Identification. - The Department of Agriculture, in coordination with the
Department of Environment and Natural Resources, department of agrarian reform and the
local government units concerned, shall identify the broad areas suitable for the planting
and propagation of Philippine Mango, within six (6) months after the effectivity of this Act
Provided, that such site identification shall be reviewed at appropriate intervals to ensure
consistency with the agrarian reform program and the national land use policy.

Section 4. Philippine Mango Framework for Development, - The Department of Agriculture,
in consultation with the Department of Trade and Industry, Department of Environment and
Natural Resources, Department of Science and Technology, mango growers’ cooperatives


and organizations, local government units, and the private sector, shall formulate a five-year
Framework for Development, to be validated and updated annually. Such Framework shall
serve as guide to the formulation and implementation of plans, programs and projects for
the production, marketing, processing and distribution of Philippine mango for food and
commercial needs, as envisioned in this Act. The Framework shall likewise provide for the
following:

a, Investment Promotion and Facilitation - The Department of Agriculture and
Department of Trade and industry shall develop programs establishing links
between stakeholders in the mango industry and Government Financial
Institutions (GFis) and other financial cooperatives, The Department of
‘Agriculture and Department of Trade and Industry shall likewise develop and
implement programs that would establish reasonable and innovative
investment incentives to attract more players in the mango industry

b, Production Support and Extension - The Department of Agriculture,
Department of Science and Technology, Department of Trade and Industry, ,
Cooperative Development Authority, state universities and colleges and
relevant government agencies shall establish programs which promote and
provide adequate training on the adoption of appropriate technologies which
cover areas on propagation, production, post harvest handling and
processing, promotion and marketing of Philippine mangoes; strengthening
of mango growers’ cooperatives and associations for sustainable and viable
Philippine mango industry, and afford opportunities for participation in
international conventions, workshops and fora.

The Department of Agriculture, through the bureau of plant industry shall
assist, monitor and accredit the different government and private nurseries
in the production and distribution of certified quality planting materials for
mango, through its plant material certification scheme. The National Seed
Industry Council (NSIC) registered ‘carabao’ mango strains shall be produced
and distributed to ensure high yield and good quality Philippine mango;

c. Research, Development and Extension - The Department of Agriculture,
Department of Science and Technology, state universities and colleges (SUCS)
and other stakeholders shall strengthen the conduct of researches on mango
particularly on areas of crop improvement (development of new varieties),
crop protection, harvesting and postharvest handling, supply chain analy:
marketing and promotion, a techno-demo site shall also be established in
different mango growing areas of the country to showcase the matured
technologies on mango propagation, production, Integrated Pest
Management (IPM), post harvest handling and processing.

d, Market Promotion and Development ~ The Department of Agriculture and
Department of Trade and Industry shall link-up agribusiness cooperatives and
organizations directly with consumers’ cooperatives and organizations. This
also includes exploring national and international markets and facilitating the
participation of local growers and producers in local and international
conferences, trade fairs, and exhibits;


e. Quality Assurance -- To ensure health and proper trading, the Department
of Agriculture shall establish and enforce standards in grading, sampling and
inspection, tests and analysis, specifications, nomenclature, units of
measurement, packaging, preservation, conservation and transportation of
Philippine mangoes;

f. Infrastructure Development ~ Access to post harvest facilities, storage and
distribution/transport facilities of existing government agencies shall be
facilitated by the Department of Agriculture. Assistance shall be given to
qualified and viable growers/cooperatives in the availment of soft loans or
grants for Lhe CONEMUCHON Gt POT NAVEL, MOCRSANE BG KOLAR AMINES,
and

g. The Department of Agriculture and Department of Science And Technology
shall strengthen the mango information network currently maintained by the
regional offices of DOST.

Section 5. Philippine Mango Development Fund (PMDF). - To provide for the funding
requirements for the propagation, production, research and development and extension
program, post harvest handling and processing, marketing and promotion of Philippine
mango, there is hereby created a Philippine Mango Development Fund (PMDF), with an
initial amount of five hundred million pesos (P500, 000,000.00) to be taken from the existing
budget of the Department of Agriculture. Thereafter, the PMDF shall be sourced from the
amounts be appropriated in the General Appropriations Act in the year following its
enactment into law. Other sources of funds, including but not limited to borrowings from
local and international financial institutions, shall also be considered to further support the
Fund. In addition, one (1) percent of the revenue from the mango export (as levy) shall be
allocated to research and development to address the priority problems of the industry.

Section 6. Inter-Agency Committee. - A Committee, composed of a representative from the
Department of Agriculture, the Department of Agrarian Reform, the Department of Finance,
the Land Bank of the Philippines, the Development Bank of the Philippines, the Cooperative
Development Authority, the Department of Science and Technology, the Department of
Trade and Industry, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, and the
Department of the Interior and Local Government and one (1) each from the mango
growers and commercial producers’ sectors to be designated by the Secretary of
Agriculture, shall formulate and prescribe, after public hearing and publication as required
by law, the implementing rules and regulations in order to carry out the provisions of this
Act. The representatives from the Department of Agriculture and the Department of Trade
and Industry shall be the chairman and the vice-chairman, respectively, of the Committee.

The Secretary of the Department of Agriculture shall report to both Houses of Congress on
the status of the implementation of this Act bi-annually,

Section 7. Repealing Clause. - All laws or parts thereof, decrees, orders, rules and
regulations inconsistent with the provisions of this Act are hereby repealed or modified
accordingly: Provided, however, that nothing in this Act shall be construed or applied as
amending the CARL and other laws on agrarian reform


Section 8. Separability Clause. - If any of the provisions of this Act is declare invalid, the
other provisions not affected thereby shall remain in full force and effect.

Section 9. Effectivity Clause. - This Act shall take effect immediately following its publication
in a newspaper of general circulation or in the Official Gazette, whichever comes first.

Approved,