Republic of the Philippines 370 .
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES” REC E|VED 2:
Quezon City, Philippines“ ‘

NINETEEN1H CONGRESS
First Regular Session

House B11 No. 3139

Introduced by HON. NICANOR M. BRIONES
Representative, AGAP Party List

EXPLANATORY NOTE

As the country recovers from “he setbacks brought by the pandemic,
the agriculture sector remains threatzned by novel and highly communicable
diseases that affect our food supply. African Swine Fever (ASF) outbreaks
across the country impede the efforts of our local hog raisers in reviving swine
production. Meanwhile, Avian Influenza, commonly known as the bird flu,
has already affected roughly four milion poultry, and counting.

On the other hand, we have n a heavy importer of dairy products.
Local production has remained low cver the years. Still, supply cannot keep
up with the demand.

Consequently, these contribute to the rising of prices of food
commodities, thereby undermining all our efforts in reviving our economic
activities. While the government implements liberal policies on imports to
temporarily cushion the low supply, local poultry farmers and livestock
raisers bear the brunt as they struggle to recoup their accumulated los
The costs of production could not compete with the imposed lower tariffs.
Hence, the growth and recovery of ou: livestock, poultry, and dairy industries

remain constrained.
What we need today are responsive and long-term solutions to the
chelienges faced by our agricultural sector. Since the first recorded cases of

ASF and bird flu in the country, ovtbreaks have been occurring here and
there. The lack of vaccines has been a constant source of disiress among local
livestock raisers and poultry farmers. Local supply of food products remains
insufficient to meet demand. Clearly, adequate support to agriculture is much
needed today, more than ever

According to the 1987 Constitution, the goals of the national economy
are a more equitable distribution of opportunities, income, and wealth; a
sustained increase in the amount cf goods and services produced by the



the benefit of the people; and an expanding productivity as the key
ng the quality of life for all, especially the underprivileged. The State is
hereby called to ensure a self-sus‘aining agriculture by promoting iocal
industry and productivity.

This bill is therefore filed in response to the need to ensure adequate
suoply of food products, boost agrictiltural productivity, and promote equity
in economic opportunities. This bill aims to establish the Swine
Competitiveness Enhancement Funé that will provide necessary support to
our local livestock and poultry industries, including dairy. The bill shall
devote the revenues collected from the importation of pork, poultry, and dairy
products to vital programs in the recovery and development of each industry.

Tt is hoped that through this measure, local livestock raisers and
poultry and dairy farmers will be genuinely given the appropriate and
responsive support it needs. By giving priority to our local agricultural
industries, we can be assured in the coming years of reliable supply and lower
prices of food leading to food security and agricultural self-sufficiency.

With the foregoing premises considered, the approval of this bill is
earnestly sought.

M. BRIONES
entative
AGAP Partylist


Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City, Philippines

NINETEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

House Bill No. 3139

Introduced by HON, NICANOR M. BRIONES
Representative. AGAP Party List

AN ACT
STRENGTHENING THE LIVESTOCK, POULTRY, AND DAIRY INDUSTRY,
CREATING FOR THE PURPOSE ‘THE LIVESTOCK, POULTRY, DAIRY
COMPETITIVENESS ENHANCEMENT FUND, FURTHER AMENDING
REPUBLIC ACT NO. 8178, AS AMENDED, FOR OTHER PURPOSES

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in
congress assembled.

SECTION 1 Short Title of Act. - This Act shall be known as "Livestock,
Poultry, and Dairy (LPD) Competitiveness and Enhancement Act”

SEC. 2. Declaration of Policy). — It is the policy of the State to ensure
food security and to make the country’s agricultural sector viable, efficient,
and globally competitive. The State shall promote the development and
competitiveness of the livestock, poultry, and dairy (LPD) industries to
improve domestic production, promote food safety and quality standards of
livestock, poultry, and dairy products, and attain food self-sufficiency.

It is also hereby declared policy of the State to invigorate rural economy
and increase income through improved productivity and competitiveness,
income generation, enhanced production efficiency, and protection of the LPD
industries from diseases.

‘Towards this end, the State shall establish support programs that will
address the needs of the LPD industries, particularly domestic production
and development, disease prevention, and financial resilience.

SEC. 3. Section 12 of Republic Act (RA) 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 ir this Act, there is hereby created the
Agricultural Competitiveness Enhancement Fund, herein referred to as the
Fund. The Fund shail consist of all duties collected from the importation of
agricultural products, except rice, LIVESTOCK, POULTRY, AND DAIRY
PRODUCTS, 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 the 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)

XxX

SEC. 4. Livestock, Poultry, and Dairy Competitiveness
Enhancement Fund. - There is hereby created a Livestock, Poultry, and
Dairy Competitiveness Enhancement Fund, herein referred to as the LPDCEF.
‘The LPDCEF shall consist of all duties collected from the importation of swine,
cattle, poultry, and other livestock meat, and dairy products. The LPDCEF
shall be automatically credited to a special account in the general fund of the
National Treasury, which shall be in place ninety (90) days upon the effectivity
of this Act

The Secretary of Agriculture shall be accountable and responsible for
the LPDCEF in coordination with other government agencies concerned. The
Department of Agriculture and other pertinent agencies shall submit an
annual report containing inter alia, the status of the LPDCEF and an impact
assessment of the programs implemented under this Act to the Congressional
Oversight Committee on Agriculture and Fisheries Modernization
(COCAFAM). The COCAFAM shall conduct a periodic review of the use of the
SCEF as necessary.

SEC. 5. LPDCEF Allocation, Subject to usual accounting and auditing
rules and regulations, the LPDCEF shall be allocated and disbursed to
livestock, poultry, and dairy producing areas, in proportion to the collected
tariffs of each commodity. These shail be used to fund the following:

(a) African Swine Fever (ASF) Prevention Programs, including
vaccination and the Bantay ASF sa Barangay program;

(b) Avian Influenza Protection and Prevention Program, including
vaccination and disease surveillance activities;

(c) Subsidies for transportation and freight cost of livestock and
poultry, and dairy products;

(d) Livestock, poultry, and daicy sector development, propagation and
promotion, including the Integrated National Swine Production
Initiatives for Recovery and Expansion (INSPIRE}, and Dairy Herd
Improvement Program (DH);

(c) Credit assistance, which shail be made available in the form of credit
facility with no interest rates and no 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

(8 Financial assistance and indemnity for sick/disease-infected and
culled livestock valued at Php 10,000 per head and infected poultry
at Php 100 per broiler poultry and Php 150 per layer poultry, or fifty
percent of the production costs, whichever is higher.

SEC. 6. Rates of Import Duty. ~ For the purposes of this Act, tariff
rates on swine meat shall be fixed based on Executive Order No. 128 series of
2021. Further, the rates shall be effective for a period of five (5) years from the
effectivity of this Act. Upon the expiration of the five-year period, there shall
be a gradual decrease in the rates as may be prescribed by the President,
pursuant to the revival of his authority under Sections 1608, 1609, and 1611
of Republic Act No. 10863.

SEC. 7. 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 he generation and validation, and
continuously share date on the preduction, importation, exportation, and
consumption of agricultural products, the importation and exportation of
which were liberalized.

In order to facilitate the invest'gation and prosecution of cases of anti-
competitive behavior on, including price manipulation of, agricultural
products, the DA and the BOC are heeby mandated to provide the Philippines
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 subject to appropriate disciplinary actions as provided under
R.A. No. 2260, otherwise known as the “Civil Service Act of 1959”.

SEC. 8. Implementing Rules 1nd Regulations. Within sixty (60) days
from effectivity of this Act, the Department of Agriculture, Department of
Finance, and Department of Budget and Management shall, in coordination
with other government agencies concerned and after consultation with
directly affected stakeholders, promulgate the rules and regulations to
expeditiously implement the provisions of this Act.

SEC. 9. Separability Clause. - If any provision of this Act shall be
held unconstitutional or invalid, the remaining provisions which are not
affected thereby shall continue to be in full force and effect.

SEC. 10. Repealing Clause. - All laws, decrees, executive orders, rules
and regulations, and other issuances, or parts thereof, contrary to or


inconsistent with this Act are hereby modified, amended or repealed
accordingly.

SEC. 11. Effectivity. - This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after
its publication in the Official Gazette or in a newspaper of gencral circulation.

Approved,