ENTATIVES
RECEIVED

Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City

SEVENTEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

1959

RRS PATON UNIT
BILLS AN} (Nix SERVICE
House Bill No.

Introduced by Representative Estrellita B. Suansing

EXPLANATORY NOTE

Agriculture is the primary sector that contributes to the revenue in the
country. Rice is the major agricultural crop grown and produced in the country,
and, while crop production is the primary revenue contributor, livestock and
poultry raising serve as supplementary activity to crop production.

Raising small ruminants, such as goat and sheep, is fast becoming popular
among smallholder farmers due to its economical, managerial, and biological
advantages.

It is economically advantageous since a small initial investment is necessary
to begin raising small ruminants and correspondingly, there is a small risk of loss
due to individual deaths. Women, and even children, can look after them. Small
ruminants occupy little housing space, have low feeding requirements, and
providers of both milk and meat in quantities adequate for the immediate family
consumption, therefore, making raising small ruminants managerially
advantageous. Goats and sheep appear to withstand periods of drought far better
than cattle and cows. They have shorter reproductive cycles, allowing them to
quickly recover and resume breeding after bouts of drought or disease. Hence, they
provide the easiest and most accessible source of credit available to the family to
augment their finances.

The development of the small ruminants industry in the country is
synonymous to improved livelihood and general well-being of the people in rural
areas. It will not only improve the farmers’ income but also enhance the revenue of
the agricultural communities in the countryside.

Pursuant to this noble intention, this measure seeks to establish the
Philippine Small Ruminants Center that will enhance and accelerate the
development of the small ruminants sector making it a rising industry that will lead
to increased meat and milk production for the country, better income to farmers,
employment opportunities for rural folks, establishment of agri-enterprises, and
ultimately, improved living conditions in our farming communities, especially in the
Province of Nueva Ecija. Likewise, it will further boost the stature of the Central
Luzon State University (CLSU) as a leading and model institution of higher
education dedicated to the advancement of the agriculture sector of our country.


‘The Small Ruminants Center shall encompass all research and development
efforts in all disciplines that will lead to the improvement of the overall productivity
of the Philippine goat and sheep.

Its creation not only brings hope to alleviate living conditions in local
communities but also contribute much needed income to our nation’s revenue.

In view of the foregoing, approval of this measure is earnestly sought,

1st District, Nueva Ecija

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Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City

SEVENTEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

1959

House Bill No.

Introduced by Representative Estrellita B. Suansing

AN ACT
ESTABLISHING THE PHILIPPINE SMALL RUMINANTS CENTER AND
APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREFOR

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

SECTION 1. Short Title. This act shall be known as the “Philippine Small
Ruminants Act.”

SECTION 2. Declaration of Policy. It 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;

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

d. 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.

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

a. Center - refers to the Philippine Small Ruminant Center that is based in
the Central Luzon State University located in Nueva Ecija;

b. Crossbred - refers to the offspring of two (2) purebred animals;
c. 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.

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

e. Research Network - refers to the Philippine Council for Agriculture,
Aquatic, Forestry and Natural Resources Research and Development
(PCAARRD), Department of Agriculture (DA) and private organizations
conducting researches geared towards developing technology that will
increase productivity of smallholder farmers;

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

g. 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;

h, 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 shall
encompass all research and development efforts in all disciplines that lead to the
improvement of the over-all productivity of the Philippine 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-economics, 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;

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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:

1. President of the Central Luzon State University (CLSU);

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

3. Executive Director of the Livestock Development Council;

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

5. Farmers representative; and

Sa

Executive Director of the Philippine Small Ruminant Center.

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 program 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.

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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 farmer’s 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. Appropriations. To fund the Philippine Small Ruminant Center, the
amount of Twenty Million Pesos (PhP20,000,000.00) 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 annual General
Appropriations Act as a distinct and separate item.

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. Separability Clause. If any provision or part hereof is held invalid or
unconstitutional, the remainder of the law or the provision not otherwise affected

shall remain valid and subsisting.

SEC. 12. Repealing Clause. All provisions of law, presidential decrees or issuances,
orders, including rules and regulations inconsistent herewith are hereby repealed,
amended or modified accordingly.

SEC. 13. 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,

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