Republic of the Philippines 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
Quezon City 
EIGHTEENTH CONGRESS 
Second Regular Session 
HOUSE BILL NO. ____ 
Introduced by HON. LUIS RAYMUND “LRAY” F. VILLAFUERTE, JR. 
AN ACT 
TO SUPPORT THE STRENGTHENING OF THE LOCAL SWINE INDUSTRY, 
CREATING FOR THE PURPOSE THE SWINE COMPETITIVENESS 
ENHANCEMENT FUND, FURTHER AMENDING REPUBLIC ACT NO. 8178, AS 
AMENDED, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES 
The failure to control the African Swine Fever (ASF) for over two years now has 
severely affected the supply of pork that resulted in high prices. This proposed 
measure seeks to create the Swine Competitiveness Enhancement Fund (SCEF) to 
be funded out of all the duties collected from the importation of swine meat to help 
curtail the further spread of the ASF and contribute to the recovery of the industry. 
The SCEF shall be utilized for the eradication of the ASF, subsidies for the transport 
of hogs and pork from producing areas to pork-consuming markets, swine sector 
development and repopulation, credit assistance to hog raisers, and insurance fund 
for hog raisers affected by the culling of infected hogs.  
In view of the foregoing, the immediate passage of this bill is earnestly sought. 
LUIS RAYMUND “LRAY” F. VILLAFUERTE, JR. 
June 30, 2021
12:13 pm
9669


Republic of the Philippines 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
Quezon City 
EIGHTEENTH CONGRESS 
Second Regular Session 
HOUSE BILL NO. ____ 
Introduced by HON. LUIS RAYMUND “LRAY” F. VILLAFUERTE, JR. 
AN ACT 
TO SUPPORT THE STRENGTHENING OF THE LOCAL SWINE INDUSTRY, 
CREATING FOR THE PURPOSE THE SWINE COMPETITIVENESS 
ENHANCEMENT FUND, FURTHER AMENDING REPUBLIC ACT NO. 8178, AS 
AMENDED, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES 
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 "Affordable Pork Act of 
2021.”   
SEC. 2. Section 12 of Republic Act (R.A.) 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 in this Act, there is hereby created the 
Agricultural Competitiveness Enhancement Fund, herein referred to as 
the Fund. The Fund shall consist of all duties collected from the 
importation of agricultural products, except rice AND SWINE MEAT, 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 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). 
“X X X 
SEC. 3. A new section 16 is hereby inserted after Section 15 of the same Act, as 
amended, to read as follows: 
"SEC. 16. SWINE COMPETITIVENESS ENHANCEMENT FUND. – 
THERE IS HEREBY CREATED A SWINE COMPETITIVENESS 
ENHANCEMENT FUND, HEREIN REFERRED TO AS THE SCEF. THE 
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SCEF SHALL CONSIST OF ALL DUTIES COLLECTED FROM THE 
IMPORTATION OF SWINE MEAT FOR THE NEXT SIX (6) YEARS AND 
SHALL BE AUTOMATICALLY CREDITED TO A SPECIAL ACCOUNT IN 
THE GENERAL FUND OF THE NATIONAL TREASURY, WHICH SHALL 
BE IN PLACE WITHIN NINETY (90) DAYS UPON THE EFFECTIVITY OF 
THIS ACT. 
 
THE SECRETARY OF AGRICULTURE SHALL BE ACCOUNTABLE AND 
RESPONSIBLE FOR THE SCEF IN COORDINATION WITH OTHER 
GOVERNMENT AGENCIES CONCERNED. THE DEPARTMENT OF 
AGRICULTURE (DA) AND OTHER PERTINENT AGENCIES SHALL 
SUBMIT AN ANNUAL REPORT CONTAINING, INTER ALIA, THE 
STATUS OF THE SCEF AND AN IMPACT ASSESSMENT OF THE 
PROGRAMS IMPLEMENTED UNDER THIS ACT TO THE COCAFAM. 
THE COCAFM SHALL CONDUCT A PERIODIC REVIEW OF THE USE 
OF THE SCEF AS NECESSARY. 
 
AT THE END OFTHE FIFTH (5th) YEAR, A MANDATORY REVIEW 
SHALL BE CONDUCTED BY THE COCAFM TO DETERMINE 
WHETHER THE SCEF AND ITS USE AS PROVIDED FOR UNDER THIS 
ACT SHALL BE AMENDED, TERMINATED, OR EXTENDED. ANY 
REMAINING 
BALANCE 
AT 
THE 
DATE 
OF 
EXPIRATION 
OF 
COLLECTION OF DUTIES FOR THE SCEF SHALL REMAIN IN THE 
SPECIAL ACCOUNT AND SHALL CONTINUE TO BE USED FOR THE 
PURPOSE FOR WHICH IT WAS COLLECTED AND SET ASIDE. THE 
COCAFM SHALL UTILIZE THE INCREASE OR DECREASE IN HOG 
RAISERS' INCOMES AS A PRIMARY BENCHMARK IN DETERMINING 
THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THE INTERVENTIONS UNDER THE 
PROGRAM AND ITS POSSIBLE EXTENSION. 
 
SUBJECT TO THE USUAL ACCOUNTING AND AUDITING RULES AND 
REGULATIONS, THE SCEF SHALL BE ALLOCATED AND DISBURSED 
TO PORK PRODUCING AREAS, AS FOLLOWS: 
 
(A) AFRICAN SWINE FEVER (ASF) PREVENTION PROGRAMS, 
INCLUDING VACCINATION AND THE BANTAY ASF SA BARANGAY 
PROGRAM; 
(B) SUBSIDIES FOR TRANSPORTATION AND FREIGHT COST OF 
HOGS AND PORK; 
(C) SWINE 
SECTOR 
DEVELOPMENT, 
PROPAGATION 
AND 
PROMOTION, INCLUDING THE INTEGRATED NATIONAL SWINE 
PRODUCTION INITIATTVES FOR RECOVERY AND EXPANSION 
(INSPIRE); 
(D) CREDIT ASSISTANCE, WHICH SHALL BE MADE AVAILABLE IN 
THE FORM OF CREDIT FACILITY WITH MINIMAL INTEREST RATES 
AND WITH MINIMUM 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 
(E) INSURANCE 
PROGRAM 
FOR 
CULLED 
HOGS 
TO 
BE 


 
 
ADMINISTERED 
BY 
THE 
PHILIPPINE 
CROP 
INSURANCE 
CORPORATION (PCIC)." 
 
SEC. 4. A new Section 17 is hereby inserted in the same Act, to read as follows: 
 
"SEC. 
17. 
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 
THE 
GENERATION AND VALIDATION, AND CONTINUOUSLY SHARE DATA 
ON 
THE 
PRODUCTION, 
IMPORTATION, 
EXPORTATION 
AND 
CONSUMPTION OF AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTS, THE IMPORTATION 
AND EXPORTATION OF WHICH WERE LIBERALIZED. 
 
IN ORDER TO FACILITATE THE INVESTIGATION AND PROSECUTION 
OF CASES OF ANTI-COMPETITIVE BEHAVIOR ON, INCLUDING 
PRICE MANIPULATION OF, AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTS, THE DA 
AND THE BOC ARE HEREBY MANDATED TO PROVIDETHE 
PHILIPPINE 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 
SUBJECTTO APPROPRIATE DISCIPLINARY ACTIONS AS PROVIDED 
UNDER R. A. NO. 2260, OTHERWISE KNOWN AS THE "CIVIL 
SERVICE ACT OF 1959." 
 
SEC. 5. Sections 16,17,18 and 19 of the same Act are hereby renumbered as 
Sections 18,19,20 and 21, respectively. 
 
SEC. 6. Repealing Clause. – All laws, decrees, executive issuances, and rules and 
regulations inconsistent with the provisions of this Act are hereby repealed or 
modified accordingly. 
 
SEC. 7. Separability Clause. – If any provision or part of this Act is held invalid or 
unconstitutional, the other provisions hereof which are not affected shall continue to 
be' in full force and effect. 
 
SEC. 8. Effectivity Clause. – This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its 
publication in the Official Gazette or in at least two (2) newspapers of general 
circulation.  
 
Approved,