WHEREAS, Executive Order 296, issued on October 3, 2000 integrated the personnel, programs, assets and resources of the National Stud Farm (NSF) with the Bureau of Animal Industry and other Offices of the Department;

WHEREAS, there is an urgent need to ensure the continuity and implementation of NSF programs and functions which are geared towards the improvement of the breed of Philippine horses in support to the horse breeding and racing industries;

WHEREAS, Administrative Order No. 46, Series of 2000, created within the Bureau of Animal Industry a Stud Book and Animal Registry Division (SBARD) which is the duly-recognized Stud Book Authority of the Philippines (SBAP) and is tasked of regulating the racehorse breeding industry of the country;

WHEREAS, the assets and equipment of the NSF has been ordered transferred to the Bureau of Animal Industry under a Department Memorandum dated September 19, 2000;

NOW, THEREFORE, I, LEONARDO Q. MONTEMAYOR, Secretary of Agriculture, by the power vested in me by law, do hereby order the Bureau of Animal Industry to implement the following:

1. Strengthen the integration of horse breeding activities previously implemented by the NSF into the mainstream of BAI activities with emphasis on providing private horse owners high-quality stallion services at affordable breeding fees; Correspondingly, the establishment of breeding stations proximate to horse-breeding activities and the acquisition of pedigreed stallions from local and foreign sources for breeding purposes is hereby encouraged.

2. Provide horse breeders services for equine care and maintenance such as the conduct of Equine Anemia Tests (Coggins' Test), prevention and control of other equine diseases, allied laboratory tests and equine surgical operations;

Hospital and laboratory equipment transferred from the NSF to BAI shall be assessed and if needed, shall be augmented in order to effectively serve the needs of the horse breeding industry.

3. Establish and maintain a system of registration and identification to prevent illegal substitution of horses.

4. Publish the Philippine Stud Book wherein all horses allowed to participate in the races and those used for breeding purposes are duly registered and their pedigree recorded and recognized by other countries. Concomitantly, close coordination with the International Stud Book Committee (ISBC) and the international breeding community shall be maintained.

5. Promulgate rules and regulations necessary to accomplish the purposes of this Order and prescribe reasonable fees and charges as may be necessary for each report filed, for each certificate it may issue and for services it may render to breeders.

Annual budgetary requirements for the integrated personnel and functions of the NSF shall be proposed and incorporated under the budget of the Bureau of Animal Industry. Correspondingly, funds previously accruing in favor of the NSF from government and non-government entities, by virtue of existing laws, shall now be in favor of the Bureau of Animal Industry.

This Order shall take effect immediately.

Adopted: 04 Jan. 2002