WHEREAS, Republic Act No. 9496, otherwise known as "An Act to Extend the Utilization Period of the Agricultural Competitiveness Enhancement Fund, Amending Republic Act No. 8178, entitled "An Act Replacing Quantitative Import Restrictions on Agricultural Products, except Rice with Tariffs. Creating the Agricultural Competitiveness Enhancement Fund, and for other Purposes" was enacted on February 28,2008;

WHEREAS, the Department of Agriculture revised and reformed the IRR of Republic Act 8178, as mandated by Section 2 of Republic Act 9496, in consultation with the Congressional Oversight Committee on Agricultural and Fisheries Modernization (COCAFM);

NOW, THEREFORE, I, ARTHUR C. YAP, Secretary of the Department of Agriculture, by the powers vested in me do hereby issue this Order, for the implementation of the provisions of the "Implementation Guidelines on the Utilization of the Agricultural Competitiveness Enhancement Fund" (copy attached^* )

This Order shall take effect immediately.

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^* Text Available at Office of the National Administrative Register, U.P. Law Complex, Diliman, Quezon City.