Republic of the Philippines 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
Quezon City 
NINETEENTH CONGRESS 
Second Regular Session 
HOUSE BILL NO. ____ 
Introduced by HON. LUIS RAYMUND “LRAY” F. VILLAFUERTE, JR. 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
The failure to control the African Swine Fever (ASF) for a few years now has severely 
affected the supply of pork that resulted in high prices. This proposed measure seeks 
to create the Swine Competitiveness Enhancement Fund (SCEF) to be funded out of 
all the duties collected from the importation of swine meat to help curtail the further 
spread of the ASF and contribute to the recovery of the industry. 
The SCEF shall be utilized for the eradication of the ASF, subsidies for the transport 
of hogs and pork from producing areas to pork-consuming markets, swine sector 
development and repopulation, credit assistance to hog raisers, and insurance fund 
for hog raisers affected by the culling of infected hogs.  
In view of the foregoing, the immediate passage of this bill is earnestly sought. 
LUIS RAYMUND “LRAY” F. VILLAFUERTE, JR. 
August 3, 2023
12:01 pm
8726


Republic of the Philippines 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
Quezon City 
NINETEENTH CONGRESS 
Second Regular Session 
HOUSE BILL NO. ____ 
Introduced by HON. LUIS RAYMUND “LRAY” F. VILLAFUERTE, JR. 
AN ACT 
TO SUPPORT THE STRENGTHENING OF THE LOCAL SWINE INDUSTRY, 
CREATING FOR THE PURPOSE THE SWINE COMPETITIVENESS 
ENHANCEMENT FUND, FURTHER AMENDING REPUBLIC ACT NO. 8178, AS 
AMENDED, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES 
Be it enacted by the Senate and the House of Representatives of the Philippines in 
Congress assembled: 
SECTION 1. Short Title. – This Act shall be known as the “Affordable Pork Act.”  
Sec. 2. Section 12 of Republic Act (R.A.) No. 8178, otherwise known as the 
"Agricultural Tariffication Act", as amended, is hereby further amended to read as 
follows: 
"SEC. 12. Agricultural Competitiveness Enhancement Fund. - To implement 
the policy enunciated in this Act, there is hereby created the Agricultural 
Competitiveness Enhancement Fund, herein referred to as the Fund. The Fund 
shall consist of all duties collected from the importation of agricultural products, 
except rice AND SWINE MEAT, under the MAV mechanism, including unused 
balances and collections from repayments from loan beneficiaries including 
interests, if any. The Fund shall be automatically credited to Special Account 
183 in the General Fund of the National Treasury: Provided, That fund releases 
shall not be subject to any ceiling by the Department of Budget and 
Management (DBM). 
8726


 
“X X X  
 
Sec. 3. A new section 16 is hereby inserted after Section 15 of the same Act, as 
amended, to read as follows: 
"SEC. 16. SWINE COMPETITIVENESS ENHANCEMENT FUND. – THERE IS 
HEREBY CREATED A SWINE COMPETITIVENESS ENHANCEMENT FUND, 
HEREIN REFERRED TO AS THE SCEF. THE SCEF SHALL CONSIST OF 
ALL DUTIES COLLECTED FROM THE IMPORTATION OF SWINE MEAT 
FOR THE NEXT SIX (6) YEARS AND SHALL BE AUTOMATICALLY 
CREDITED TO A SPECIAL ACCOUNT IN THE GENERAL FUND OF THE 
NATIONAL TREASURY, WHICH SHALL BE IN PLACE WITHIN NINETY (90) 
DAYS UPON THE EFFECTIVITY OF THIS ACT. 
 
THE SECRETARY OF AGRICULTURE SHALL BE ACCOUNTABLE AND 
RESPONSIBLE FOR THE SCEF IN COORDINATION WITH OTHER 
GOVERNMENT AGENCIES CONCERNED. THE DEPARTMENT OF 
AGRICULTURE (DA) AND OTHER PERTINENT AGENCIES SHALL SUBMIT 
AN ANNUAL REPORT CONTAINING, INTER ALIA, THE STATUS OF THE 
SCEF 
AND 
AN 
IMPACT 
ASSESSMENT 
OF 
THE 
PROGRAMS 
IMPLEMENTED UNDER THIS ACT TO THE COCAFAM. THE COCAFM 
SHALL CONDUCT A PERIODIC REVIEW OF THE USE OF THE SCEF AS 
NECESSARY. 
 
AT THE END OFTHE FIFTH (5th) YEAR, A MANDATORY REVIEW SHALL BE 
CONDUCTED BY THE COCAFM TO DETERMINE WHETHER THE SCEF 
AND ITS USE AS PROVIDED FOR UNDER THIS ACT SHALL BE AMENDED, 
TERMINATED, OR EXTENDED. ANY REMAINING BALANCE AT THE DATE 
OF EXPIRATION OF COLLECTION OF DUTIES FOR THE SCEF SHALL 
REMAIN IN THE SPECIAL ACCOUNT AND SHALL CONTINUE TO BE USED 
FOR THE PURPOSE FOR WHICH IT WAS COLLECTED AND SET ASIDE. 
THE COCAFM SHALL UTILIZE THE INCREASE OR DECREASE IN HOG 
RAISERS' INCOMES AS A PRIMARY BENCHMARK IN DETERMINING THE 
EFFECTIVENESS OF THE INTERVENTIONS UNDER THE PROGRAM AND 
ITS POSSIBLE EXTENSION. 


 
 
SUBJECT TO THE USUAL ACCOUNTING AND AUDITING RULES AND 
REGULATIONS, THE SCEF SHALL BE ALLOCATED AND DISBURSED TO 
PORK PRODUCING AREAS, AS FOLLOWS: 
(A)   
AFRICAN SWINE FEVER (ASF) PREVENTION PROGRAMS, 
INCLUDING VACCINATION AND THE BANTAY ASF SA BARANGAY 
PROGRAM; 
(B)   
SUBSIDIES FOR TRANSPORTATION AND FREIGHT COST OF 
HOGS AND PORK; 
(C)   SWINE 
SECTOR 
DEVELOPMENT, 
PROPAGATION 
AND 
PROMOTION, INCLUDING THE INTEGRATED NATIONAL SWINE 
PRODUCTION INITIATTVES FOR RECOVERY AND EXPANSION 
(INSPIRE); 
(D)   CREDIT ASSISTANCE, WHICH SHALL BE MADE AVAILABLE IN THE 
FORM OF CREDIT FACILITY WITH MINIMAL INTEREST RATES AND 
WITH MINIMUM COLLATERAL REQUIREMENTS TO HOG RAISERS 
AND COOPERATIVES, TO BE MANAGED EQUALLY BY THE 
AGRICULTURAL CREDIT POLICY COUNCIL (ACPC), THE LAND 
BANK OF THE PHILIPPINES (LBP) AND THE DEVELOPMENT BANK 
OF THE PHILIPPINES (DBP); AND 
(E)   
INSURANCE 
PROGRAM 
FOR 
CULLED 
HOGS 
TO 
BE 
ADMINISTERED 
BY 
THE 
PHILIPPINE 
CROP 
INSURANCE 
CORPORATION (PCIC)." 
 
Sec. 4. A new Section 17 is hereby inserted in the same Act, to read as follows: 
"SEC. 
17. 
DATA 
COLLECTION 
AND 
SHARING 
REGIME 
ON 
AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTS. – TO ENSURE THE TIMELY AND 
ACCURATE COLLECTION AND DISSEMINATION OF STATISTICS AND 
INFORMATION ON AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTS, THE DA, PHILIPPINE 
STATISTICS AUTHORITY (PSA), BUREAU OF CUSTOMS (BOC), AND 
AGRICULTURAL 
PRODUCERS 
SHALL 
COORDINATE 
ON 
THE 
GENERATION AND VALIDATION, AND CONTINUOUSLY SHARE DATA ON 
THE PRODUCTION, IMPORTATION, EXPORTATION AND CONSUMPTION 


 
OF AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTS, THE IMPORTATION AND EXPORTATION 
OF WHICH WERE LIBERALIZED. 
 
IN ORDER TO FACILITATE THE INVESTIGATION AND PROSECUTION OF 
CASES OF ANTI-COMPETITIVE BEHAVIOR ON, INCLUDING PRICE 
MANIPULATION OF, AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTS, THE DA AND THE BOC 
ARE HEREBY MANDATED TO PROVIDETHE PHILIPPINE COMPETITION 
COMMISSION (PCC) AND THE PRICE COORDINATING COUNCIL OPEN 
AND TIMELY ACCESS TO RELEVANT DATA ON PRICES, MARKET 
SHARES, SUPPLY CHAIN, AND OTHER INFORMATION NECESSARY FOR 
THE PERFORMANCE OF THEIR FUNCTIONS.  
 
FAILURE BY ANY STAFF OR OFFICER OF THE DA OR THE BOC TO 
PROVIDE SUCH PERTINENT INFORMATION TO THE PCC SHALL BE 
DEEMED A NEGLECT OF LAWFUL DUTIES AND SHALL BE SUBJECTTO 
APPROPRIATE DISCIPLINARY ACTIONS AS PROVIDED UNDER R. A. NO. 
2260, OTHERWISE KNOWN AS THE "CIVIL SERVICE ACT OF 1959." 
 
Sec. 5. Sections 16,17,18 and 19 of the same Act are hereby renumbered as Sections 
18,19,20 and 21, respectively. 
 
Sec. 6. Repealing Clause. – All laws, decrees, executive issuances, and rules and 
regulations inconsistent with the provisions of this Act are hereby repealed or modified 
accordingly. 
 
Sec. 7. Separability Clause. – If any provision or part of this Act is held invalid or 
unconstitutional, the other provisions hereof which are not affected shall continue to 
be' in full force and effect. 
 
Sec. 8. Effectivity Clause. – This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its 
publication in the Official Gazette or in at least two (2) newspapers of general 
circulation. 
 
Approved,