Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City

EIGHTEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

House Bill No. _ ee

Introduced by Representative MICAELA S. VIOLAGO

EXPLANATORY NOTE

Ruminants are mammals that are able to acquire nutrients from plant-based
food by fermenting it in a specialized stomach prior to digestion, principally through
bacterial actions. There are about 150 species of ruminants, which include both
domestic and wild species. Ruminating mammals include cattle, goats, sheep,
giraffes, yaks, deer, camels, llamas, antelope, and some macropods.

Although such plant parts as stems and leaves are impossible for most
mammals to digest, ruminants are anatomically equipped to thrive on just such a
diet. These ruminants have four-chambered stomachs quite unlike the single-
chambered stomachs of humans and other mammals. The four parts of the stomach

_ are the rumen, reticulum, omasum, and abomasum. Ruminants eat quickly, storing
masses of grass or foliage in the first chamber of the stomach, the rumen, where it
softens. They later regurgitate this material, called cud, and chew it again to further
break down its cellulose content, which is difficult to digest. The chewed cud goes
directly to the other chambers of the stomach (the reticulum, omasum, and
abomasum), where it is further digested with the aid of various essential
microorganisms that live in the stomach.

In the Philippines, the Small Ruminants Center (SRC) at Central Luzon State
University (CLSU) in the Science City of Munoz, Nueva Ecija has been designated
as the lead national center for research and development in small ruminants and it
has been in operation for almost 20 years now. Its main responsibility is to conduct
R&D activities in various disciplines that lead to the overall improvement of the
productivity of Philippine goats and sheep. Over the years, the center has developed
technologies for broodstock improvement, feeding management, cultural practices,
pasture establishment, and products development. The SRC was designated by the
Philippine Council for Agriculture, Forestry and Natural Resources Research and
Development of the Department of Science and Technology (PCARRD-DOST) as the
first and only Center of Excellence in small ruminant research. It is also chosen as
the national broodstock center, and accredited as a quarantine facility by the Bureau
of Animal Industry of the Department of Agriculture.

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a)

 OECEIVED “A


The proposed bil, if enacted and passed into law, will enhance and accelerate
the development of the small ruminants sector as a sunshine industry that will lead to
increased meat and milk production for the country, better income to farmers,
employment opportunities for rural folks, establishment of agro-enterprises, and
ultimately improved living conditions in our farming communities especially in the
province of Nueva Ecija.

Support and approval for this proposed legislation are hereby earnestly

‘sought.
ICAELA pace


Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City

EIGHTEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

House Bill No.__ 1234

Introduced by Representative MICAELA S. VIOLAGO

AN ACT
ESTABLISHING THE PHILIPPINE SMALL RUMINANTS CENTER

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 “Philippine Small
Ruminants Act of 2019.”

SEC. 2. Declaration of Policy. - \t is hereby declared to be the policy of the
State to:

a) Conserve, improve and develop the Philippine goat, sheep and
other small ruminants as sources of animal milk, meat and fiber;

b)

Enable the farmers, particularly smallholder farmers, to avail
themselves of good quality goat and sheep stocks at all times
and at reasonable prices through an organized program of
breeding and development;

©)

Increase the local supply of meat, milk and fiber from goats,
sheep and other small ruminants; and

¢

Encourage backyard goat, sheep and other small ruminants
development in rural areas by raising goat and sheep which are
good milk and meat producers so as to reduce importation of
milk and milk by-products;

SEC. 3. Definition of Terms. - As used in this Act, the following terms shall
be construed to mean as follows:

a) Crossbreed - refers to the offspring of two (2) purebred animals;

b) Performance Testing - refers to the systematic selection of the best


animal from a population raised under the same environment. The basic
consideration is its genetic potential;

°)

Philippine Small Ruminant Center - refers to the Philippine Small
Ruminant Center with the National Center based in the Central Luzon
State University;

d)

Research Network - refers to the Philippine Council for Agriculture,
Forestry and Natural Resources Research and Development (PCARRD),
Department of Agriculture (DA), and private organization conducting
fesearches geared towards developing technology that will increase
productivity of smallholder farmers;

e)

Smallholder Farmers - are basically farmers owning below twenty (20)
heads of goats or sheep;

f) Small Ruminants — refers to any hooved animal belonging to the division
of Artiodactyla having four stomachs, such as but not limited to goat and
sheep;

g) Upgraded ~ refers to the offspring of a cross between a native stock and
an exotic breed of animal.

SEC. 4. Creation of the Philippine Small Ruminant Center. - The
Philippine Small Ruminant Center is hereby created with the National Center based
in the Central Luzon State University and with satellite centers in the other goat and
sheep centers in Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao. The Center in Visayas shall be the
Visayas State University (VSU) in Leyte. The center in Mindanao shall be the DA-

_ Bagalupa Stock Farm in Zamboanga del Sur.

OTHER SATELLITE CENTERS IN ANY REGION OF THE COUNTRY MAY
ALSO BE ORGANIZED AND OPERATIONALIZED WHENEVER THERE ARE
STATE COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES (SUCs) IN AGRICULTURE IN SUCH
AREAS.

SEC. 5. Scope. - The activities of the Philippine Small Ruminant Center
encompass all research and development efforts in all disciplines that lead to the
improvement of the over-all productivity of the Philippines goat and sheep. In
addition, research efforts to increase the annual population growth rate of small
ruminants to meet existing and future demand shall be pursued.

SEC. 6. Priorities. - The following shall be the priority areas of the
Philippine Small Ruminant Center and such other priorities or programs that the
Board shall formulate:

a) Research and development efforts in the areas of biotechnology,
breeding, nutrition, reproduction, animal health and product development
utilization, socio-economies, technology promotion and environmental impact
shall take priority. Research activities geared towards development of
appropriate technologies shall be the primary concern. These technologies


are those that would increase productivity of the goat and sheep in a cost
effective, simple and practical manner. Socio-economic researches shall be
undertaken hand in hand with the development of the technologies to ensure
economic appropriateness and acceptance of the technology by farmers;

b) Development of goat and sheep with improved performance as milk-
meat animals shall be the main focus in breeding;

c) Development of feeding systems for backyard and semi commercial
production, nutrition, improving reproductive efficiency, physiology and
schemes to reduce losses by parasites and diseases shall likewise receive
priority. Emphasis shall be put on technology transfer on the developed
appropriate technologies; and

d) Development for dairy meat, fiber and hide production for domestic
and/or export market.

SEC. 7. Philippine Small Ruminant Center Board. - The Board shall
formulate policies and oversee the implementation of the Philippine Small Ruminant
Center, in consonance with the National Research and Development policies. The
Philippine Small Ruminant Center Board shall be composed of the following:

President of the Central Luzon State University (CLSU);

Directors of Department of Agriculture — Bureau of Animal
Industry/Bureau of Agricultural Research (DA-BAI-BAR);

Executive Director of the Livestock Development Council;

Executive Director of the Philippine Council for Agriculture, Forestry
and Natural Resources Research and Development (PCARRD);
Farmers representative; and

Executive Director of the Philippine Small Ruminant Center.

Se Ns

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. The CLSU President shall be the Chairperson, the Director of DA-BAI
shall be the Vice-Chair, while the Executive Director of the Philippine Small
Ruminant Center shall serve as the Ex-Officio Secretary.

SEC. 8. Implementation and Coordination of the Program of the CLSU. -
The Philippine Small Ruminant Center Board shall be tasked to coordinate and
monitor the implementation of all programs relative to small ruminants. It shall
identify, through the Department of Agriculture, the Director of the Philippine Small
Ruminant Center and Project Leaders from various implementing stations of the
research and development projects in the areas of breeding, nutrition, animal health,
reproductive physiology, socio-economics, techno-transfer, product development and
utilization and environmental impact assessment. It shall formulate strategies
concerning performance testing of bucks and rams, multiplication and distribution of
elite germplasm purebreds, crossbreds and native bucks and rams.

The CLSU in Nueva Ecija shall be the Philippine Small Ruminant National
Center which specializes in the development of breeding system of the goat, sheep
and other small ruminants of smallholder farmers with exotic breeds and shall
specialize in the breeding of purebred small ruminants and its crossbreds and
generation of technology on goat dairying and sheep fiber. Furthermore, the center
shall specialize in the development of technology on nutrition, reproductive
physiology animal health, product development and utilization, socio-economics and


techno transfer.

The other centers shall take responsibility of the regional research needs and
spearhead implementation of development activities in their respective geographical
area of responsibility. It shall include field testing and verification of technologies
developed by the National Center.

SEC. 9. Farmers’ Participation. - The farmer cooperators shall be
encouraged to strengthen existing farmers’ cooperatives or establish strong farmers’
association to serve as focal point for government assistance, production and
multiplication of upgraded small ruminants and on the dissemination of new
knowledge on goat dairying and fiber production from sheep.

SEC. 10. Funding. - To fund the Philippine Small Ruminant Center, the
amount of TWENTY MILLION PESOS (Php 20,000,000.00) shall be appropriated by
the Department of Budget and Management from the unexpended balance of the
National Treasury and thereafter, shall be included in the General Appropriations Act.
The salaries of permanent staff and maintenance and operating budget shall be
appropriated and released directly to the various agencies of the Philippine Small
Ruminant Center Network, in accordance with the approved program of activities.

Any income derived from the sale of goats, sheep and other small ruminants
shall be placed in a Revolving Fund to be used in the propagation and distribution of
goats, sheep and other small ruminants.

SEC. 11. Repealing Clause. - All provisions of law, presidential decrees or
issuance, orders, including rules and regulations inconsistent herewith are hereby
repealed or modified accordingly.

SEC. 12. Effectivity Clause. - This Act shall take effect after fifteen (15)

days following the completion of its publication in the Official Gazette or in at least
two (2) newspapers of general circulation.

Approved,