Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City

SIXTEENTH CONGRESS
‘Second Regular Session

5297

HOUSE BILL NO..

INTRODUCED BY REPRESENTATIVES
FERNANDO L. HICAP, NERI J. COLMENARES, CARLOS ISAGANI T. ZARATE,
LUZVIMINDA C. ILAGAN, EMMI A. DE JESUS, ANTONIO TINIO
AND TERRY L. RIDON

EXPLANATORY NOTE

The Philippines is an agricultural country, with the livelihood of the majority
of its population directly dependent on farming. Farming generally includes, thru
both backyard and commercial operations, the raising and production of farm
animals such as cattle, carabao, goat, hog, chicken and duck.

From 2001 to 2013, according to the Bureau of Agricultural Statistics (BAS),
the country’s average annual production of carabao was at 137.68 metric thousand
tons, while cattle was at 250.98 thousand metric tons. For the same period,
average annual production of hog was at 1,826.65 thousand metric tons, goat was
at 76.13 thousand metric tons, chicken was at 1,285.40 thousand metric tons, and
duck was at 43.24 thousand metric tons.

Based on the 2014 national livestock and poultry data of the BAS for
January to June, the number of farm animals in both backyard and commercial
farms are as follows:

‘Type of Animals ae (anne
Carabao 2,844,344 12,417
Cattle 2,352,848 166,639
Goat 3,648,422 60,032
Duck 7,426,868 2,842,336
Hog 7,741,714 4,240,289

Source: Bureau of Agricultural Statistics (BAS), January to June, 2014.



Chicken Type No. of heads in million

Broilers 64.70
Layers 29.23
Native 78.48

‘Source: Bureau of Agricultural Statistics (BAS), January to June, 2014.

Most animal raising and production farms are found in rural or far-flung
areas in the country where there is, unfortunately, despite consistently high rate of
livestock and poultry production, a pervasive dearth of veterinary services. This can
be largely attributable to the fact that the law, particularly Republic Act No. 7160
or The Local Government Code of 1991, specifies that only provincial and city
governments are mandatorily required to appoint a veterinarian officer, leaving a
great number of municipalities for the most part deprived of access to much-
needed public veterinary support and assistance.

Animal raisers, especially those engaged in backyard operations and are
poor, usually cannot afford the services of private veterinarians. They are often
made to wait for the provincial or city veterinarian to visit their area, a very rare
occasion, in fact, which comes at no certain time.

Backyard animal raisers are, thus, practically left to themselves in treating
animal diseases. They employ traditional forms and ways that do not necessarily
guarantee either a quick fix or the prevention of such diseases from being
transmitted to other animals or, worse, to people. There are obviously animal
diseases, such as cat scratch disease, mad cow disease, and brucellosis, among
others, that need the immediate attention and professional expertise of duly
licensed veterinarians.

Moreover, failure to properly treat animal diseases naturally jeopardizes the
supply of livestock and poultry products in the market, to the detriment of the
public and the economy.

Thus, this bill, filed previously by former Anakpawis  Party-list
Representative Rafael Mariano on October 2011 during the second regular session
of the Fifteenth Congress, is here being refiled with the intent of amending certain
provisions of Republic Act No. 7160 or The Local Government Code of 1991 in order
to prescribe the mandatory appointment of veterinarian officers not only in
provincial and city governments but also in municipal units.

This legislative measure seeks to decisively address the proliferation of
contagious and harmful animal diseases in the countryside and the immediate
delivery of public veterinary services to far-flung villages where the raising and
production of farm animals is concentrated.



This measure also aims to expand certain functions and duties of a
veterinarian officer in order to more adequately and regularly serve the veterinary
needs of remote communities.

In view of the foregoing, the early passage of this bill is urgently sought.

CSUR,
REP, Pee

ANAKPAWIS ier

(ser

BAYAN ue) )Party-list BAYAN MUNA Party-list

:
Aomori fay
REP., ci REP. EMMI A. DE JESUS
:

GABRIELA Women’: GABRIELA Women’s Party

SZ

REP. ANTONIO TINTS . TERRY L. RIDON
ACT Teachers Party KABATAAN Party-list



Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City

SIXTEENTH CONGRESS
Second Regular Session

5237

HOUSE BILL NO..

INTRODUCED BY REPRESENTATIVES
FERNANDO L. HICAP, NERI J. COLMENARES, CARLOS ISAGANI T. ZARATE,
LUZVIMINDA C. ILAGAN, EMMI A. DE JESUS, ANTONIO TINIO
AND TERRY L. RIDON

AN ACT
PROVIDING FOR THE MANDATORY APPOINTMENT OF A MUNICIPAL
VETERINARIAN OFFICER, AMENDING FOR THE PURPOSE CERTAIN
PROVISIONS OF REPUBLIC ACT NO. 7160 OTHERWISE KNOWN AS “AN ACT
PROVIDING FOR A LOCAL GOVERNMENT CODE OF 1991"

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

SECTION 1. Section 443 of Republic Act No. 7160 is hereby amended to read as
follows:

"Section 443. Officials of the Municipal Government. - (a) There shall be
in each municipality a municipal mayor, a municipal vice mayor,
sangguniang bayan members, a secretary to the sangguniang bayan, a
municipal treasurer, a municipal assessor, a municipal accountant, a
municipal budget officer, a municipal planning and development
coordinator, a municipal engineer/building official, a municipal health
officer, A MUNICIPAL VETERINARIAN and a municipal civil registrar.

SECTION 2. Section 489 of Republic Act No. 7160 is hereby amended, to read as
follows:

"Section 489. Qualifications, Powers and Duties. - (a) No person shall
be appointed veterinarian unless he is a citizen of the Philippines, [a resident
of the local government concerned,] of good moral character, and a licensed
doctor of veterinary medicine. He must have practiced his profession for at
least three (3) years in the case of provincial or city veterinarian and at least
one (1) year in the case of the municipal veterinarian.

The appointment of a veterinarian officer is mandatory for the
provincial, [and] city, AND MUNICIPAL governments.

(b) The veterinarian shall take charge of the office for veterinary
services and shall:


(1) Formulate measures for the consideration of the
sanggunian, and provide technical assistance and support to the
governor or mayor, as the case may be, in carrying out measures to
ensure the delivery of basic services and provision of adequate
facilities pursuant to Section 17 of this Code;

(2) Develop plans and strategies and upon approval thereof by
the governor or mayor, as the case may be, implement the same,
particularly those which have to do with the veterinary-related
activities which the governor or mayor is empowered to implement
and which the sanggunian is empowered to provide for under this
Code;

(3) In addition to the foregoing duties and functions, the
veterinarian shall:

() Advise the governor or the mayor, as the case may be,
on all matters pertaining to the slaughter of animals for
human consumption and the regulation of
slaughterhouses;

(ii) Regulate the keeping of domestic animals,

(ii) Regulate and inspect poultry, milk and dairy
products for public consumption;

(iv) Enforce all laws and regulations for the prevention of
cruelty to animals; [and]

(v) Take the necessary measures to eradicate, prevent or
cure all forms of animal diseases; AND

(VI) VISIT AND RENDER VETERINARY SERVICES, AT
LEAST ONCE A WEEK, TO EVERY BARANGAY OF
THE CITY OR MUNICIPALITY WHERE THEY ARE
APPOINTED. PROVINCIAL VETERTNARIANS SHALL
COORDINATE WITH CITY AND MUNICIPAL
VETERINARIANS REGARDING THE CONDUCT AND
IMPLEMENTATION OF VETERINARY SERVICES
WITHIN THEIR AREA OF JURISDICTION;

(4) Be in the frontline of veterinary related activities, such as in
the outbreak of highly-contagious and deadly diseases, and in
situations resulting in the depletion of animals for work and human
consumption, particularly those arising from and in the aftermath of
man-made and natural calamities and disasters;

(5) Recommend to the sanggunian and advise the governor or
mayor, as the case may be, on all other matters relative to veterinary
services which will increase the number and improve the quality of
livestock, poultry and other domestic animals used for work or
human consumption; [and]


(6) RECOMMEND TO THE SANGGUNIAN AND ADVISE THE
GOVERNOR OR MAYOR, AS THE CASE MAY BE, TO SEEK
FINANCIAL, TECHNICAL AND OTHER FORM OF ASSISTANCE
FROM NATIONAL GOVERNMENT AGENCIES AND INSTITUTIONS
FOR THE IMPLEMENTATION OF VETERINARY-RELATED
NATIONAL PROGRAMS AND ACTIVITIES IN THE LOCAL
GOVERNMENT UNIT CONCERNED;

(7) ASSIST THE GOVERNOR OR MAYOR, AS THE CASE
MAYBE, IN THE IMPLEMENTATION OF VETERINARY-RELATED
NATIONAL PROGRAMS AND ACTIVITIES IN THE LOCAL
GOVERNMENT UNIT CONCERNED; AND

() Exercise such other powers and perform such other duties and
functions as may be prescribed by law or ordinance."

SECTION 3. Repealing Clause. -All laws, executive orders, executive issuances or
letter of instructions, or any part thereof, inconsistent with or contrary to the
provisions of this Act are hereby deemed repealed, amended or modified
accordingly,

SECTION 4. Separability Clause. -If for any reason any section or provision of
this act shall be declared unconstitutional or invalid, the other parts thereof not
affected thereby shall remain valid.

SECTION 5. Effectivity Clause. -This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its
publication in the Official Gazette or in at least two (2) national newspapers of
general circulation.

Approved.