WHEREAS, Executive Order No. 234, as amended by Executive Order No. 253, allows the slaughter of carabaos and buffaloes that are three years old or over; and

WHEREAS, present conditions demand that the carabao and the buffalo be conserved for the benefit of the small farmers who rely on them for energy needs;

NOW, THEREFORE, I, FERDINAND E. MARCOS, President of the Philippines, by virtue of the powers vested in me by the Constitution, do hereby promulgate the following:

SECTION 1. Executive Order No. 234 is further amended such that the slaughtering of carabaos and buffaloes is hereby prohibited except under the following conditions:

a. Only carabaos and buffaloes that are seven years old or over, if male, and eleven years old or over, if female, may be slaughtered upon issuance of the necessary slaughter permit by the authorities concerned;

b. No slaughter permit shall be issued without a certificate by the Provincial or City Veterinarian concerned, or their authorized representatives, to the effect that the carabao or buffalo to be slaughtered is of the required age and free from any disease.

SEC. 2. The Minister of Agriculture, upon recommendation of the Director of the Bureau of Animal Industry, shall issue such rules and regulations that will effectively carry out the provisions of this Executive Order.

SEC. 3. This Executive Order shall take effect immediately.

DONE in the City of Manila, this 21st day of October, in the year of Our Lord, nineteen hundred and eighty.


By the President:

(SGD.) JOAQUIN T. VENUS, JR.
Presidential Assistant