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EIGHTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE) 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES ) 
First Regular Session 
)
SENATE
S.B. No. 848
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Introduced by SENATOR IMEE R. MARCOS
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AN ACT URGING THE PLANNING AND PROMOTION OF THE PHIIJ^PPINE 
MANGO FOR INTERNATIONAL EXPORT ESTABLISHING THE MANGO 
EXPORT PROMOTION COUNCIL, AND PROVIDING FUNDS THEREFOR, AND
FOR OTHER PURPOSES
EXPLANATORY NOTE
The "Carabao" Mango, internationally known as the Manila Super Mango, is 
widely known as one of the best varieties of mango due to its superior quality and 
taste. It is listed as the sv^/eetest in the world by the 1995 Guinness Book of World 
Records. As of 2015, global trade in fresh and dried mango totaled 2 billion US 
dollars. Mexico is the world's biggest mango exporter, producing 16% of the market, 
while the other leading exporters are Peru, Brazil, India, and Thailand. Together, 
these 5 countries account for 53% of all global exports. Sadly, despite its fame and 
quality, the Philippine mango has failed to date to break into this huge international 
market.
While mangoes can be produced in most parts of the country, less than 3% of 
the present domestic produce is exported. Output is consistently falling, despite a 
slight bump during "El Nino" years. From 816.4 thousand metric tons in 2013 to 
711.7 thousand tons in 2018, both acreage and the number of trees show a 
downward pattern for the past three (3) years. Acreage decreased from 187,457 
hectares on the first half of 2016 to 185,194 hectares on the first half of 2018 before 
slightly increasing to 185,607 hectares on second half 2018. The number of trees 
followed a similar pattern, decreasing from 9,621,690 in the half 2016 to 9,445,450 I 
the first half 2018. The industry is also suffering from problems related to economies 
of scale, dominated by farmers with small landholdings. Aggregation problems 
meeting output demand of exporters are hence predictable.
Further, the lack of processing equipment and capacity for the production of 
mango puree and other processed products hinder the growth of the processed 
sector. Access to the processed mango sector is critical, given the size of the puree 
market, valued at USDS 995 million in 2017. This processed mango demand is 
projected reach USDS 2.1 billion by 2026.


The Philippines has consistently had difficulty complying with the stringent 
regulations of the major markets in the region. In particular, adherence to Sanitary 
and Phytosanitary (SPS) permit standards and Good Agricultural Practice (GAP) 
requirements remain problematic. There is a need to negotiate the details of these 
requirements with major trade partners to facilitate export as well as urge their 
investment and assistance in complying with both SPS and GAP
Government intervention in promoting mango exports is clearly urgent and 
necessary. In particular, there is a need to expand planting, provide shared facilities, 
assist the farmers in meeting GAP and SPS standards, and cooperate with our 
partners in enhancing the competitiveness of the Philippine Mango.
Given the abovementioned opportunities, the immediate passage of this bill is 
urgently recommended.
et
[MEE R. MARCOS


EIGHTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE 
)
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES 
)
First Regular Session 
)
SENATE
S.B. No. 
8 4 8
of rhp
*19 AUG -1 All 39
RrV, .
Introduced by SENATOR IMEE R. MARCOS
AN ACT URGING THE PLANNING AND PROMOTION OF THE PHILIPPINE 
MANGO FOR INTERNATIONAL EXPORT ESTABLISHING THE MANGO 
EXPORT PROMOTION COUNCIL, AND PROVIDING FUNDS THEREFOR, AND
FOR OTHER PURPOSES
Be it enacted by the Senate and the House o f Representatives o f the Philippines in 
Congress assembled:
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Section 1. Short T itle - This Act shall be known as the "Mango Export Act of 2019."
Section 2. Declaration o f Policy- It is hereby declared the policy of the State to 
develop and promote a globally competitive mango industry with the objective of 
increasing mango farmers' income, encouraging the production of export-quality 
fruits, and promoting international trade and industry.
Section 3. Establishment o f the Mango Export Promotion Council (MEPC). -  A council, 
composed of the Secretary of the Department of Agriculture (DA) or his representative 
as the Chairperson, the Secretary of the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) or his 
representative, the Secretary of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) or his 
representative, and one (1) each from the mango growers and commercial processors'


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sectors to be designated by the Secretary of the DA shall be created immediately upon
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the effectivity of this Act to ensure the government's, support, and assistance to
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mango exporters. The Bureau of Plant Industry (BPI) under DA, through the office
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which implements the High-Value Crops Development Program, shall be designated
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as the MEPC'S Secretariat.
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Section 4. Functions o f the MEPC. -  The MEPC, in consultation with the Department 
of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), Department of Science and 
Technology (DOST), state universities and colleges, mango growers' and processors 
cooperatives and organizations, local government units, and the private sector, shall 
formulate a ten (10) year framework 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, processing and marketing of Philippine 
mango for export worldwide, as envisioned in this Act. The Framework shall likewise 
provide for the following:
a. National Expansion Plans and Programs -  The DA, DOST, state universities and 
colleges (SUCs) and other stakeholders shall encourage the conduct of research 
on mango, particularly in the areas of crop improvement (development of new 
varieties), crop protection, harvesting and postharvest handling, supply chain 
analysis, marketing and promotion. Model farms shall also be established in key 
mango growing areas of the country to showcase the latest technologies in mango 
propagation, production. Integrated Pest Management (IPM), Good Agricultural 
Practise (GAP) post-harvest handling, and processing, packaging and branding.
b. Investment Promotion and Facilitation -  The DA and DTI shall establish linkages 
between stakeholders in the mango industry. Government Financial Institutions 
(Gns) and private financial entities. Programs to invite the private sector to mango 
production and processing shall likewise be developed
c. Export Promotion Support. -  An integrated export strategy shall be created, to 
include branding, advertising, market research and analyses, and upxJated phyto- 
sanitary guidelines. Foreign trade and export promotion activities such as training.


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technical assistance, capacity building, information on export opportunities, export
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planning assistance, and participation in international food, agriculture, and events
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shall facilitated.
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d. Formulation of Trade Policies. -  The MEPC shall engender a consultative approach
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at every stage of the trade policy-making process, inviting all mango stakeholders.
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The DFA shall lead the negotiation of Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) to provide a
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competitive environment for Filipino mango exports overseas.
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e. Monitoring and Evaluation. -  The MEPC shall continuously monitor, and evaluate
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the results of programs implemented by the various stakeholders and government
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agencies, providing overall coordination and end-to-end management of the export
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process.
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Section 6. Appropriation. -  To provide for the funding requirements for aggressive
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production programs, of the Philippine mango, for international export, there is hereby
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created a Mango Export Development Fund (MEDF), with an initial amount of five
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hundred million pesos (P500,000,000.00) to be taken from the existing budget of the
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Department of Agriculture. Thereafter, the MEDF shall be sourced from the amounts
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be appropriated in the General Appropriations Act in the year following its enactment
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into law. Other sources of funds, including but not limited to borrowings from local
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and international financial institutions, shall also be considered to further support the
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MEDF. In addition, one (1) percent of the revenue from the mango export (as levy)
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shall be allocated to research and development to address the priority problems of the
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industry.
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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 CARP and other laws on agrarian reform.
Section 8. Separability Clause. -  If any of the provisions of this Act is declared invalid, 
the other provisions not affected thereby shall remain in full force and effect.


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Section 9. Effectivity Clause. -  This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days following its 
publication in a newspaper of general circulation or in the Official Gazette, whichever 
comes first.
Approved,