WHEREAS, DA Administrative Order (AO) 34 was issued on 09 September 1999 to stop the unusually high volume of importation of beef by duty-free shops to the detriment of the domestic cattle raising industry;

WHEREAS, as a result of the imposition of the ban, importation of high quality beef by hotels, restaurants, and similar establishments within Subic and Clark duty-free zones has become more expensive;

WHEREAS, importation of high quality beef by hotels, restaurants, and similar establishments at Subic and Clark duty-free zones does not pose competition to domestically produced beef;

NOW, THEREFORE, I, EDGARDO J. ANGARA, Secretary of Agriculture, by virtue of the powers vested in me by law, hereby order the exemption of high quality beef from the ban, provided that only hotels, restaurants and similar establishments located within Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) and Clark Development Corporation (CDC) are eligible to import duty-free high quality beef, only for their own use in their business operations in these areas.

The terms high quality, prime grade, or choice cuts beef shall mean the same, referring to the prime parts of dressed beef carcass, bone-in or boneless, derived from young cattle, feedlot fattened steers and heifers. Bone-in cuts beef include ribs, T-Bone, shortloin, shortplate, spareribs, and standing rib. Boneless cuts beef include rib-eye, sirloin, tenderloin, striploin, round, topround, knuckles, eye of round shoulder clod, chuck tender, and blade.

For purposes of this ORDER, importation of high quality beef is limited only for culinary purposes in hotels, restaurants and similar establishments located in SBMA and CDC areas.

This ORDER does not cover duty-free importation of high quality beef for industrial processing and manufacturing (e.g. canning, retail packing) intended for selling or reselling or for other purposes other than those for culinary preparations mentioned above.

This Order shall take effect immediately.

Adopted: 03 Feb. 2000

(SGD.) EDGARDO J. ANGARA
Secretary