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Republic of the Philippines

0.
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES \< i
Quezon City Xu

SIXTEENTH CONGRESS
Second Regular Session

House Bill No. _480 3

Introduced by Hon. Joseph Gilbert F. 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. Itis also chosen as the national broodstock center, and accredited as a quarantine
facility by the Bureau of Animal Industry of the Department of Agriculture.

The proposed bill, 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.

2

JOSEPH F. VIOLAGO


Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon Citv

SIXTEENTH CONGRESS
Second Regular Session

House Bill No, 4803

Introduced by Hon. Joseph Gilbert F. 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 2014.”

SECTION 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

d) Encourage backyard goat, sheep and other small Iruminants 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) 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;

C)

d'

Research Network - refers to the Philiopine Council for Aariculture. Forestry and
Natural Resources Research and Development (PCARRD), Department of Agriculture
(DA), and private organization conducting researches geared towards developing
technoloav that will increase oroductivitv of smallholder farmers:

e)

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

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;

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

9g

SECTION 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 qoat 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.

SECION 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 aoat 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.

SECTION 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,
technoloav promotion and environmental impact shall take prioritv. 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


technoiogies to ensure economic appropriateness and acceptance of the technology
by farmers:

Development of aoat and sheep with improved performance as milk-meat animals
shail be the main focus in breeding;

b)

°)

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.

SECTION 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 Center! 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 Philiopine Council for Aariculture. Forestry and Natural
Resources Research and Development (PCARRD);

5. Farmers representative: and
6. 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.

SECTION 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 proarams 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, soci-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.

SECTION 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.

SECTION 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 Departnent
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 smalll ruminants.

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

SECTION 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 aeneral circulation.

Approved.