Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Quejon City

SEVENTEENTH CONGRESS
‘Second Regular Session

HOUSE BILL NO.8330

Introduced by HON. LUIS RAYMUND “LRAY” F. VILLAFUERTE, JR.

EXPLANATORY NOTE

Filipino adults are food insecure’. A 2011 National Nutrition Survey (NNS)
reported that 36% of Filipino adults are food insecure or incapable of meeting the
four dimensions of food security - physical availability of food, economic and physical
access, utilization, and stability. This bill calls for the massive rehabilitation of the
Philippine livestock industry to stabilize food security and combat soaring inflation
rates. It is also the government's manifestation of its commitment to support this
industry that has slowly but steadily grown its production value from P163 billion to
P262 billion over the past two decades.

‘As a predominantly agricultural country surrounded by rich bodies of water,
the Philippines is a major importer of many food products. It is a grave misfortune
and gigantic mismanagement that we have failed to fully utilize our natural food
resources and resorted instead to importation, ultimately resulting in the
unavailability of healthy and affordable food products to our people. The State is
hereby mandated to take urgent steps to address the worsening problem of
disproportionate population growth and food supply ratio in the country.

First, a Philippine Livestock Authority (PLA) shall be established under this
bill. PLA shall be in charge of a Philippine Livestock Development Framework, a 10-
year roadmap of programs and projects for the propagation, utilization and
development of the livestock industry across administrative regions. This shall cover
every aspect of the livestock business from the breeding and feeding of animals to
entrepreneurship, marketing, research and development, and food safety and quality
assurance.

The PLA shall stand in lieu of the numerous administrative agencies such as the
Bureau of Animal Industry - created under Republic Act 3639, Philippine Carabao

" ups://www. rappler.com/move-ph/51726-food-security-philippines


Center — created under R.A. 7307, National Dairy Corporation — created under R.A.
7884, and National Meat Inspection Service — created under Presidential Decree No.
7, 8. 1972 as amended by R.A.9296. The aforementioned agencies shall be
dissolved and merged to create the PLA.

Second, an Animal and Livestock Emergency Response Task Force (ALERT-TF)
shall be activated under the PLA to ensure that in the event of any livestock pest or
epidemic incident, the State shall be on top of its control and extermination.
Livestock and poultry are some of the primary sources of livelihood and food in rural
areas. In fact, 77 percent of inventories in the hog industry remain in backyard
production systems. We cannot allow the hard work and investment of our people,
especially the common folk, to be wiped out by diseases or pests.

Finally, the bill allots an aggregate amount of PhP 5B for the initial implementation
of the law. The amount shall fund the purchase of facilities, socialized credit under
the Small-hold Livestock Farm Modemization Program, research and development,
international and local marketing assistance to small farmers, scholarship and
human resource development grants for related courses, and infrastructure
programs.

Through this bill, this Representation envisions an increased supply of protein and
dairy products from a stronger, thriving, and more resilient livestock industry. In
consideration of the foregoing premises, the passage of this bill is earnestly sought.

LUIS (fp JR.


Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Queson City

SEVENTEENTH CONGRESS
‘Second Regular Session

HOUSE BILL No, 8330

Introduced by HON. LUIS RAYMUND “LRAY” F. VILLAFUERTE, JR.

AN ACT
TO RESTRUCTURE, RATIONALIZE AND INTEGRATE THE GOVERNMENT’S
LIVESTOCK INDUSTRY SUPPORT AGENCIES INTO THE PHILIPPINE
LIVESTOCK AUTHORITY IN ORDER TO STRENGTHEN ITS DEVELOPMENT,
PROTECTION AND REGULATORY FUNCTIONS, INCLUDING THE PROMOTION
OF DAIRY AND NATIVE ANIMALS, PROVIDE FOR A LIVESTOCK
DEVELOPMENT FUND, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES.

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

SECTION 1. Title. — This Act shall be known as the “Philippine Livestock
Industry Development Act of 2018”

SECTION 2. Declaration of Policies. — It is hereby the declared policy of the
State to promote the development and competitiveness of the livestock industry,
particularly the small-hold farmers and backyard raisers, in order to increase the
supply of meat, poultry, dairy, eggs and other livestock products, improve the
domestic supply of breeders as well as feeds and forage, promote food safety and
quality standards of livestock products, and attain greater self-sufficiency in food and
livestock commodities. It is likewise the policy of the State to increase the incomes of
farmers and farm workers and to alleviate rural poverty through improved
productivity and competitiveness, product diversification, job generation, enhanced
production efficiency and protection of the livestock industry from pests and
diseases.

Towards this end, the State shall nurture an enabling environment, establish more
responsive government policies and support programs, tighten the regulatory
functions on food safety and quality standards on livestock produce and processed


products, and give prime focus to the development of the livestock industry in the
country

The State recognizes the vital role of the private sector as partners in the various
facets of the livestock industry and shall provide incentives and the needed support
to encourage these activities and promote livestock farmer's organizations.

SECTION 3. Definition of Terms. As used in this Act, the following terms and
phrases shall mean as follows:

a) Department — shall refer to the Department of Agriculture (DA);

b) Livestock — refers to any domestic or domesticated animal that is grown, kept
or raised in captivity for food or in the production of food or other by-products,
regardless of age, location or purpose of breeding. This includes all domestic
animals that are slaughtered for human consumption, maintained for draft
animal power, and for recreational purposes, such as, but not limited to cattle,
carabaos, buffaloes, horses, sheep, goats, hogs, deer, rabbits, ostrich and
poultry, among others. Products of hunting or fishing of wild animals shall not
be considered part of this definition;

°)

Native Animals — Native animals refer to domesticated animals which
contribute to food production found in one geographical location that have
developed unique physical characteristics, behavior, product attributes,
adapted to the local environment and are products of selection with no infusion
of exotic breeds for at least five (5) generations, including, but not limited to,
native chicken, goats, pigs, ducks, cattle and horses;

d)

Stock Farms — refers to the network of stock and breeding farms and facilities
owned and operated by the Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI) and the other
government livestock agencies for the purpose of demonstration of livestock
farming technologies and other programs.


e) Philippine Native Animal Development Centers — refers to a network of stock
and breeding farms and laboratories dedicated to the nurturing, maintenance,

and development of the country’s native animals for food production purposes.

f)_ Smaliholder Farmer — refers to a farmer owning or cultivating five (5) hectares
or less of farmland

Section 4. Philippine Livestock Development Framework. The Philippine
Livestock Authority (PLA), established under Section 6 of this Act, shall, in
coordination with the Department of Agriculture (DA), Department of Science and
Technology (DOST), livestock growers’ cooperatives and backyard raisers’
organizations, animal health care practitioners, local government units (LGUs), and
the Land Bank of the Philippines (LBP) — which shall henceforth comprise the
Livestock Development Advisory Board — formulate a ten-year Framework for
Livestock Development to be validated and updated every two years. Such
Framework shall serve as guide to the formulation and implementation of plans,
programs and projects for the propagation, utilization and development of the
livestock industry, in each administrative region, including Philippine native animals,
as envisioned in this Act.

The Framework shall provide for the following:
a) Breeder Availal

ity and Upgrading Programs. The PLA shall
endeavor to increase the total population of livestock in the country in terms of
quantity and quality through support programs for genetic improvement and
upgrading, establishment of more semen banks, and natural and artificial
breeding stations, and animal dispersal programs, as well as accreditation of
breeding farms;

b) Pasture crops, animal feeds programs. The PLA shall establish
enhanced support for the development of pasture and forage crops, animal
feeds resources and inputs, and feeds processing facilities;

c) Animal Health Welfare and Protection. The PLA shall take the lead
in the implementation of prevention, control, containment and eradication of
animal pests and diseases by providing veterinary health services, and


general livestock health support programs. It shall implement continuing
programs on surveillance, quarantine and laboratory service, vaccination,
animal movement control, monitoring and management of potential epidemic
threats, and public awareness campaigns on livestock safety;

d) Enterprise Development. The PLA shall promote the establishment of
livestock credit facilities for small hold farmers and livestock cooperatives
together with financial literacy programs and “farming as business” training
programs with technical support from the Agriculture Training Institute (ATI),
Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) and relevant
local training institutes;

e) Training and Extension. in consultation with the ATI, TESDA-
Accredited Farm Schools, state universities and colleges (SUCs), LGUs and
other relevant institutions, the PLA shall provide support to training extension
services to small farmers and cooperatives on technologies and good practice
in the propagation, utilization, marketing, processing and distribution of
livestock, dairy and native animals;

f) Market Promotion Programs. The PLA shall support livestock auction
markets, trade fairs, export initiatives, and encourage contract growing
arrangements between farmers cooperatives and institutional buyers of
livestock produce. It shall coordinate with the DA-Agribusiness and Marketing
Assistance Service (AMAS) on price and quantity monitoring on farm-gate
livestock produce, eggs, meat, milk and livestock feeds and other inputs;

g) | Research and Development. The PLA shall strengthen research
collaborations through the Bureau of Agricultural Research (BAR), Philippine
Council for Agriculture, Aquatic and Natural Resources Research and
Development (DOST-PCAARRD), SUC-based research institutions for
technical support in the areas of genetic resource improvement programs,
pasture seeds and crops for animal food and product processing that promote
the development and competitiveness of the livestock industry;


h) Food Safety and Quality Assurance — Consistent with the RA 10611
(Food Safety Act), the PLA shall support the FDA in the enforcement and
regulation of food safety and quality standards on livestock produce and
livestock by-products. The PLA shall also implement food safety and quality
enhancement programs to improve the compliance levels of the livestock sub-
sectors to ensure higher levels of competitiveness, and faster growth of the
livestock industry. Subject to the relevant provisions of RA 11032 (Ease of
Doing Business Act of 2018), the PLA shall assist the FDA in hastening the
registration and approval of livestock processing establishments that serve as
markets for primary livestock produce. It shall provide advisory assistance on
technical matters to help registrants of livestock-related processing facilities,
packaging plants, dairy pasteurization facilities and processed cheese
production comply with food safety regulations and standards. When such
applications for registration or renewal of licenses of said livestock processing
establishments exceed, without compelling grounds, the processing time
limits set forth in RA 11032 — reckoning from the date of receipt of said
applications — the PLA is hereby authorized to receive the applications and
approve the same, in support of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and
subject to the standards, protocols and criteria prescribed by it.

i) Livestock Production Networks Program. The PLA shall formulate
and implement livestock cluster development programs for small hold farmers’
cooperatives, associations and/or federations in order to encourage
‘economies of scale, production efficiencies and mutual support.

SECTION 5. Rationalization of Livestock Support Agencies. The Bureau
of Animal Industry — created under Republic Act 3639, Philippine Carabao Center —
created under R.A. 7307, National Dairy Corporation — created under R.A. 7884, and
National Meat Inspection Service — created under Presidential Decree No. 7, s. 1972
as amended by R.A.9296, are hereby merged, subject to further rationalization, to
form the Philippine Livestock Authority (PLA) which shall be headed by an
Undersecretary.

The PLA shall have the following principal goals and functions:


1. To promote the competitive development of the livestock industry in general

and the various subgroups within the livestock sector as means of attaining

food sufficiency and combating rural poverty.

2. To undertake regulatory and monitoring services in order to ensure the quality
standards of production and processing, and food safety of livestock produce
in the country.

3. To harness the support of various sectors and networks in protecting the
livestock sectors and in responding to threats that may be brought about by
pests, diseases and animal epidemics.

The PLA shall have two main Offices under it:

4. Livestock Regulation Office (LRO) — to be headed by an Assistant Secretary,
which shall oversee the following Service groups:

a) Import and Export Regulation Service (IERS)- shall provide regulatory

b)

services as mandated under prior livestock import regulatory laws,
including Act 3101 (1923), R.A. 1071, R.A. 1556, P.D. 34 section 105(r),
and coordinate with relevant units/agencies/institutions, including the
Bureau of Customs and the Department of Transportation, in developing
strategies and measures to deal with the country’s livestock-related
imports and exports and to prevent and minimize health and
environmental risks. The following divisions of the Bureau of animal
Industry shall be part of this Service group:

+ Animal Feeds, Veterinary Drugs and Biologics Control Division
(AFVDBD)

* National Veterinary Quarantine Services Division (NVQSD)

Meat Inspection Service (MIS) ~ shall inherit the powers and functions,
assets and the organization of the National Meat Inspection Service
created under R.A. 9296 as amended by R.A. 10536. It shall continue to
be the controlling authority on all policies, regulations, guidelines and


°)

standards pertaining to meat produce, meat handling, safety, quality,
hygiene, and sanitation, including: establishing safety and quality
standards for meat produce (except for the roles related to import and
export of meat, which shall be assumed by the Import and Export
Regulation Service). Through its Regional Operation Centers, it shall
continue to conduct inspection and monitoring — in coordination with local
government units — of meat establishments engaged in slaughter,
processing, and domestic meat trade; registration of meat produce
inspectors, meat handlers meat brokers, meat products processing
establishments; and accreditation of facilities, conveyances and service
providers for Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point Program (HACCP)
audit as well as compliance to hygiene and sanitation standards.

Livestock Protection and Disease Control Service (LPDCS) — shall, in
addition to the roles of the BAI mandated under Sections 2, 3, 4 and 5 of
Act 3639 of 1930, be responsible for programs, policies, surveillance and
emergency action to protect the livestock industry from the risk of outbreak
of diseases or pests and shall have the following powers and functions:

+ Livestock protection surveillance, including regular surveillance
inspections in partnership with industry players and the LGUs,
coordination with counterpart offices in other countries as well as
the UN food agencies, and implementing capability building
programs in partnership with the ATI to establish livestock
protection surveillance and emergency communications networks,
that will include farmers groups, LGU, the police and military, and
other stakeholders;

* Pest and disease emergency response, by way of developing
protocols and responses upon declaration of any livestock pest and
epidemic disease incident, including regulation of movement of
persons, conveyances and plant material in affected areas, powers
to deputize police and military to control pest outbreaks, and
disposal of affected livestock resources and assets.


* Conducting scientific research and technology advancement
programs on livestock protection by partnering with SUCs, DOST,
private sector laboratories and international centers for livestock
disease control.

The following units of the BAI are hereby merged and consolidated into the
Livestock Protection and Disease Control Service, subject to further
rationalization, to wit:

* Animal Health and Welfare Division (AHWD)

* Veterinary Laboratory Division (VLD)

2. Livestock Industry Development Office (LIDO) - to be also headed by an
Assistant Secretary, the LIDO shall coordinate the formulation and
implementation of policies, programs, and roadmaps to hasten and sustain the
development of the various livestock and native animal sub-sectors, consistent
with the pertinent industry development mandates under Section 3-1, 3-1, 6 and
7 of Act 3639 of 1930 (BAI), as well as in Sections 5 and 6 of RA. 7307
(Philippine Carabao Center - PCC) and Sections 3, 6, 11, 12 and 13 of R.A. 7884
(National Dairy Authority - NDA) and the R.A. 8435 (Agriculture and Fisheries
Modernization Act of 1997 - AFMA). These shall include programs that enhance
the value chain of the livestock sector, such as improving industry utilization of
livestock research and development (R&D), supporting market development and
marketing services, enhancing the quality of inputs for livestock, improving
processing and diversification of by-products, as well as development of sources
of feeds and forage. There shall be particular focus on developing strategic
livestock production zones, clusters and networks in every province and/or rural
district, and linking small hold farms, cooperatives and community-based
ventures, sources of credit and financing and LGU support into sustainable
enterprise ecosystems.

With these goals, LIDO shall supervise the following Services, which are hereby
also created, namely:


a) Ruminants Service (RS) — to provide developmental support,
extension services, research and technical assistance programs to
small hold farmers of cattle, carabaos, buffaloes, goats, and sheep for
meat production and processing as well as for draft animal purposes.
The Ruminants Service shall absorb the following units of the BAI,
subject to further rationalization:

* National Beef Cattle Research and Development Center, and
* National Small Ruminants Research and Development Center

b) Non-ruminants Service (NRS) — to provide developmental support,
extension services, research and technical assistance programs to
small hold producers of hogs, poultry and egg, ducks, geese, turkey,
quails and other birds, and all other livestock production including, but
not limited to horses, rabbits, and beehive farming. The Non-ruminants
Service shall absorb the following units of the BAI, subject to further
rationalization:

+ National Swine and Poultry Research and Development Center
+ National Stud Farms and horse development centers, created
by virtue of R.A. 4618.

NRS shall continue the stud and racehorse development programs
under R.A. 4618, R.A. 7952 (Philippine Racing Club), R.A. 7978 (Metro
Manila Turf Club, Inc.), and RA 8007 (Manila Jockey Club).

¢|

Dairy Development Service (DDS) - shall, in addition to the current
focus on cows, include carabaos and small ruminants as priorities, with
the end in view of increasing milk production in the Philippines towards
a minimum of 10% per year. Subject to further rationalization, the DDS
shall assume the development mandates, programs, assets and
personnel of the following agencies:

* Philippine Carabao Center (PCC) created under R.A. 7307, and

* National Dairy Authority (NDA), created under R.A. 7884.

* National Feed Resources Research and Development Center


qd)

The DDS shall continue and improve upon the dairy production and
livelihood programs of the PCC and NDA and their partnerships with
stakeholders, including state colleges and universities, especially in
dairy cow and buffalo breeding, propagation of diary animals and milk
production technologies and the pasteurization and initial processing of
raw milk. It shall expand the coverage of services in providing artificial
insemination, bull loan program, frozen semen dissemination, dairy
animal modules, forage and feeds development, training of technicians
and farmers, R&D, technical assistance and extension, analysis of milk
samples, and nutrition laboratory services, and marketing of dairy
products and promotion of dairy farmers cooperatives/associations. It
shall facilitate industry networks and investment in milk production,
collection, and handling, processing, trading and marketing of
Philippine milk produce, including promotion through specialty dairy
kiosks and in international markets. The DDS shall also coordinate the
implementation of a national milk feeding program in partnership with
the Department of Education (DepEd) and/or the Department of Social
Welfare and Development (DSWD) and local government units.

Native Animal Development Service (NADS) - The Philippine Native
Animal Development Center is hereby upgraded to become the Native
Animal Development Service (NADS), which shall be responsible for
the identification, conservation, propagation, and promotion of
Philippine native animals, including native pigs, poultry, ducks, deer,
and horses through the use of appropriate technology as sources of
meat, eggs, and other by-products, and help increase incomes of
farmers. It shall also be responsible for the establishment of a gene
pool of Philippine animals as well as their registration as native animal
species of the Philippines in the Food and Agriculture Organization
(FAO) and/or other international intellectual property registry bodies. To
promote the propagation, processing, utilization and development of
Philippine native animals, there shall be created in each of the three
major island groups at least one native animal development center, to
be known as the Philippine Native Animal Development Center for


Luzon, for Visayas and for Mindanao, respectively, to ensure the
distributed implementation of native animal policies and development
programs and make them accessible to farmers in their respective
island groups. PNADS is authorized to acquire properties, receive
donations or grants for the establishment of said centers. It shall have
a yearly native animals dispersal program for rural communities that
receive and are able to demonstrate adequate social preparation and
technical trainings.

In addition to the above, the Research and Marketing Service (RMS) and the
Training and Extension Service (TES) are hereby also created, which shall report
directly to the head of the PLA, with the following functions and objectives:

* The Research and Marketing Service shall be responsible for studies and
proposals for livestock and meat consumer protection, consumer attitudes,
buyer behavior, product satisfaction, and consumer experience apart from
generating information on product quality standards and new livestock
products. RMS shall absorb the Livestock Research and Development
Division of the BAI.

* The Training and Extension Service shall be responsible for organizing and
coordinating livestock training and educational programs in partnership with
LGUs, cooperatives federations, and regional offices of DA and ATI in order to
promote and upgrade the farmers’ skills and practices in livestock production,
processing, storage, handling, marketing, transport and the overall
management of livestock farms.

SECTION 6. Authority in Livestock Pest-related Emergencies. With the
LPDCS as its implementing arm, the PLA is hereby designated as the overall
coordinating government body in the event of any livestock pest or epidemic incident
that may be deemed to have the potential to reduce the livestock population in any
region by at least two percent (2%). The PLA head shall have the authority to call for
the creation or activation of the Animal and Livestock Emergency Response Task
Force (ALERT-TF) to be composed of key officials at the regional level from the
following agencies:


1. Department of Agriculture ~ Regional Office
2. Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) — Regional Office

3. Philippine National Police (PNP) and/or Philippine Army (PA) -- Regional
Command

Provincial governor and/or Provincial Agriculturist

. Congressional Representative of the affected district

OQas

. Mayors of the affected municipalities/cities

7. Science experts on the case

SECTION 7. Transfer of Supervision and Functions. All on-going programs
and functions of the merged and re-grouped divisions and centers, including the
NDA and PCC are hereby transferred to the PLA service offices above created, but
shall continue to be operational until such time as the head of the new Agency is
able to implement a rationalization and reengineering program to align their
functions, programs and activities to the objectives of this Act. The affected
personnel who may opt for early separation shall be entitled to receive separation
benefits equivalent to two months of salaries for every year of service in government.

The BAI stock farms and research centers in, among others, Gen. Tinio, Nueva
Ecija; Tiaong, Quezon; Lipa, Batangas; Busuanga, and Coron in Palawan; Dumarao,
Capiz; Milagros in Masbate; Malaybalay, Bukidnon; Ubay, Bohol and the two
separate forage centers/stations in Labangan, Zamboanga del Sur; the Philippine
Carabao Center, including its headquarters in Munoz, Nueva Ecija; and its regional
centers in La Carlota, Negros Occidental; Ubay, Bohol and Calauit, Zamboanga del
Norte; and the various physical and financial assets (including all receivables) of the
National Dairy Authority shall be transferred under the title, care and administrative
supervision of the Livestock Industry Development Office to primarily serve the
needs of small-hold farmers as the base locations for purposes of human resource
development and livestock training, gene pool support facilities, livestock breeding,
extension work, demonstration activities, and trade promotion activities.

SECTION 8. Exemption from Taxes and Duties. — The PLA shall be the
focal office on the upgrading of breeders and may, in behalf of livestock, poultry and


dairy producer enterprises and cooperatives, import and shall be exempt from the
payment of customs duties and taxes on the importation of livestock and dairy
animals, veterinary and other supplies, other farm inputs, dairy equipment and
machineries, research equipment (including their spare parts), provided that these
are certified, monitored, and accounted for in terms of augmenting and upgrading
local stocks and breeders of small farmers, subject to the following conditions:

a) That the breeders are certified to upgrade and improve existing stocks of
small hold farms; |

b) That the breeders shall be actually, directly and exclusively used by the
|
small and micro producer enterprises| and/or cooperatives in the

production of livestock and/or manufacture of livestock by-products; and

¢) That a quarterly monitoring report shall be made over a two-year period on
the status of the imported livestock and materials.

SECTION 9. Mandated Appropriations. — On top of the existing budgets of
the relevant agencies and units of the former BAI, NMIS, PCC and NDA, the amount
of P500 million shall be appropriated as funds for the reorganization and
restructuring, initial programs and operations of the|PLA, to be set aside from the
current agriculture development funds under the Office of the Secretary. The current
year's remaining appropriations of the agencies, divisions or units that have been
merged, abolished or transferred pursuant to this Act shall be turned over to the
PLA. Thereafter, such sums as may be necessary for its continued operation and
maintenance shall be included in the annual General Appropriations Act (GAA),
provided that, henceforth, the budget share of the livestock sector shall not be lower
than fifteen percent (15%) of the total appropriations for the Department.

In addition, the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) is hereby mandated
to include annually, starting the year 2019, an initial aggregate amount of Five billion
pesos (P5,000,000,000.00) in the President's program of expenditures for
submission to Congress and to be allocated, as follows:

(a) Thirty percent (30%) for grants to shared service facilities, including but
not limited to cold chain facilities and blast freezers, pasteurizing equipment,


feed mills, forage pelletizing equipment, dairy and meat processing
equipment, packaging facilities and others to serve the needs of livestock
growers’ cooperatives and organized small hold farms within each province;

(b) Fifteen percent (15%) for socialized credit with minimal interest rates to be
managed by the Land Bank of the Philippines (LBP) for the purchase of
breeders, growers, multipliers, feeds, livestock housing and farm equipment,
under the Small-hold Livestock Farm Modernization Program;

(c) Five percent (5%) for research and development, capability building and
technology transfer activities under the Livestock Farm Technology Support
Programs;

(d) Five percent (5%) for marketing and local and international trade fair
support as assistance to organized groups of small farmers;

(e) Five percent (5%) for scholarship and human resource development
grants for college courses in veterinary, animal husbandry and livestock/dairy
processing specializations, and TESDA courses related to livestock
production as well as dairy and meat processing.

(f) Twenty percent (20%) for infrastructure support programs, including gene
pool facilities, refrigerated transport of processed meat products, and for
technical and financial assistance to help small-scale producers and
processors comply with regulations on food safety and quality standards.

(g) Ten percent (10%) for the development of local feed inputs and forage
resources as well as small-scale feeds and forage processing facilities; and

(g) Ten percent (10%) for the upgrading of Regulatory Services, and for
livestock protection surveillance, testing, and emergency response facilities;

SECTION 10. Implementing Rules and Regulations. Within thirty days (30)
from the date of approval of this Act, the Secretary of the Department of Agriculture
shall convene the members of the Livestock Development Advisory Board to


formulate the rules and regulations for the proper implementation of this Act. Such
implementing rules shall, among others, provide for the following:

a) Plans, programs, policy recommendations and proposed measures
necessary to carry out the objectives and functions of the PLA and its Offices
and Service units;

b) Submit, an annual budget and proposed supplemental budget as may be
needed in its initial operations, and a consultative process for stakeholders in
the formulation of PLA’s annual budgets in line with the national budget cycle;
and

c) A proposed rationalization program to update the organizational structure,
and plantilla of personnel of the PLA, in accordance with existing laws, rules
and regulations, including the early separation benefits for the occupants of
positions abolished.

SECTION 11. Repealing Clause. — All laws, decrees, executive orders, rules
and regulations or parts thereof which are inconsistent with this Act are hereby
repealed or modified accordingly.

SECTION 12. Separability Clause. — If any provision of this Act is declared
unconstitutional or invalid, other provisions thereof which are not affected thereby
shall continue in full force and effect.

SECTION 13. Effectivity. — This Act shall take effect after fifteen (15) days
following its publication in the Official Gazette or in any newspaper of national

circulation.

Approved,