[ EXECUTIVE ORDER NO. 128, April 07, 2021 ]

TEMPORARILY MODIFYING THE RATES OF IMPORT DUTY ON FRESH, CHILLED OR FROZEN MEAT OF SWINE UNDER SECTION 1611 OF REPUBLIC ACT NO. 10863, OTHERWISE KNOWN AS THE "CUSTOMS MODERNIZATION AND TARIFF ACT"



WHEREAS, the damaging effects of the African Swine Fever (ASF) to the domestic swine industry have led to soaring prices and plummeting supply of pork meat;

WHEREAS, it will take time for the domestic swine industry to fully recover and attain sufficient local pork production;

WHEREAS, the government recognizes the need to immediately address the current shortage in swine meat, and endeavors to strengthen food supply to ensure that Filipinos have equitable access to food, particularly meat;

WHEREAS, there is an urgent need to temporarily reduce the Most Favoured Nation (MFN) tariff rates on fresh, chilled or frozen meat of swine to address the existing pork supply shortage, stabilize prices of pork meat, and minimize inflation rates;

WHEREAS, Section 1608 of Republic Act (RA) No. 10863 empowers the President, in the interest of general welfare and national security, and upon recommendation of the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA), to increase, reduce or remove existing rates of import duty; and

WHEREAS, on 11 March 2021, the NEDA Board endorsed ad referendum the temporary reduction of the MFN tariff rates on meat of swine falling under AHTN 2017 Heading 02.03;

NOW, THEREFORE, I, RODRIGO ROA DUTERTE, President of the Republic of the Philippines, by virtue of the powers vested in me by the Constitution and existing laws, do hereby order:

SECTION 1. Rates of Import Duty. The articles specifically listed in Annex A hereof, as classified in compliance with Section 1611 of RA No. 10863, shall be subject to the temporary MFN rates of duty, in accordance with the schedule indicated opposite the article.

Upon the effectivity of this Order, all articles specifically listed in Annex A hereof, which are entered into or withdrawn from warehouses in the Philippines for consumption, shall be levied the temporary MFN rates of duty as prescribed therein.

SECTION 2. Repeal. All other issuances, administrative rules and regulations, or parts thereof, which are inconsistent with this Orders are hereby repealed or modified accordingly.

SECTION 3. Separability. If any provision of this Order is declared invalid or unconstitutional, the other provisions not affected thereby shall remain valid and subsisting.

SECTION 4. Effectivity. This Order shall take effect immediately upon its publication in a newspaper of general circulation, and shall be effective for a period of one (1) year from such date.

Done in the City of Manila, this 7th day of April, in the year of Our Lord, Two Thousand and Twenty-One.



(SGD.) RODRIGO ROA DUTERTE




By the President:



(SGD.) SALVADOR C. MEDIALDEA
Executive Secretary