Boosting Philippine Agriculture

Mindanao State University
Fatima Uhaw, General Santos City
SCIENCE TECHNOLOGY AND SOCIETY

RESEARCH FOR DEBATE
SUBMITTED TO:
PROF. ALDRIN P. COSME
SUBMITTED BY:
ANJELICA D. VIERNES
FRANCES DOMINIQUE V. FUENTES
ANNA MICHELLE A. MAGBANUA
ANGELIE MARGARETH BALANCIO
JULIET TADENA
JOHN PAUL SELWYN PRADO
MARCH 16, 2020

AGRICULTURE IN THE PHILIPPINES
The Philippines is still primarily an agricultural country despite the plan to make it an
industrialized economy by 2000. Most citizens still live in rural areas and support
themselves through agriculture. The country's agriculture sector is made up of 4 sub-
sectors: farming, fisheries, livestock, and forestry (the latter 2 sectors are very small),
which together employ 39.8 percent of the labor force and contribute 20 percent of
GDP.
The country's main agricultural crops are rice, corn, coconut, sugarcane, bananas,
pineapple, coffee, mangoes, tobacco, and abaca (a banana-like plant). Secondary
crops include peanut, cassava, camote (a type of rootcrop), garlic, onion, cabbage,
eggplant, calamansi (a variety of lemon), rubber, and cotton. The year 1998 was a bad
year for agriculture because of adverse weather conditions. Sector output shrank by 8.3
percent, but it posted growth the following year. Yet, hog farming and commercial
fishing posted declines in their gross revenues in 1999. The sector is burdened with low
productivity for most of its crops.
The Philippines exports its agricultural products around the world, including the United
States, Japan, Europe, and ASEAN countries (members of the Association of Southeast
Asian Nations). Major export products are coconut oil and other coconut products, fruits
and vegetables, bananas, and prawns (a type of shrimp). Other exports include the
Cavendish banana, Cayenne pineapple, tuna, seaweed, and carrageenan. The value of
coconut-product exports amounted to US$989 million in 1995 but declined to US$569
million by 2000. Imported agricultural products include unmilled wheat and meslin,
oilcake and other soybean residues, malt and malt flour, urea, flour, meals and pellets
of fish, soybeans and whey.
One of the most pressing concerns of the agricultural sector is the rampant conversion
of agricultural land into golf courses, residential subdivisions, and industrial parks or
resorts. In 1993 the nation was losing irrigated rice lands at a rate of 2,300 hectares per
year. Small land-holders find it more profitable to sell their land to developers in
exchange for cash, especially since they lack capital for seeds, fertilizers, pesticides,
and wages for hiring workers to plant and harvest the crops. Another concern is farmers'
continued reliance on chemical-based fertilizers or pesticides that have destroyed soil
productivity over time. In recent years however, farmers have been slowly turning to
organic fertilizer, or at least to a combination of chemical and organic inputs.
Environmental damage is another major concern. Coral-reef destruction, pollution of

coastal and marine resources, mangrove forest destruction, and siltation (the clogging
of bodies of water with silt deposits) are significant problems.
The agriculture sector has not received adequate resources for the funding of critical
programs or projects, such as the construction of efficient irrigation systems. According
to the World Bank, the share of irrigated crop land in the Philippines averaged only
about 19.5 percent in the mid-1990s, compared with 37.5 percent for China, 24.8
percent for Thailand, and 30.8 percent for Vietnam. In the late 1990s, the government
attempted to modernize the agriculture sector with the Medium Term Agricultural
Development Plan and the Agricultural Fisheries Modernization Act.
The fisheries sector is divided into 3 sub-sectors: commercial, municipal, and

aquaculture (cultivation of the natural produce of bodies of water). In 1995, the
Philippines contributed 2.2 million tons, or 2 percent of total world catch, ranking it
twelfth among the top 80 fish-producing countries. In the same year, the country also
earned the distinction of being the fourth biggest producer of seaweed and ninth biggest
producer of world aquaculture products.
In 1999 the fisheries sector contributed P80.4 billion at current prices, or 16 percent of
gross value added in agriculture. Total production in 1999 reached 2.7 million tons.
Aquaculture contributed the most, with 949,000 tons, followed closely by commercial
fishing with 948,000 tons, and municipal fisheries with 910,000 tons. Domestic demand
for fish is substantial, with average yearly fish consumption at 36kg per person
compared to a 12kg figure for consumption of meat and other food products.
Agriculture is dying. This is a sad reality of the country.
Agricultural land is being developed into industrial areas, shopping malls and
subdivisions. Farmers are growing old and their children have shifted into other careers.
The agriculture industry has not progressed in ages. Many of our agricultural schools
are producing office-oriented workers who would much rather do paper work than help
improve the agricultural sector of the country. Not to mention the many horror stories of
corruption at the Department of Agriculture.
Even if the Philippines is primarily an agricultural country, we have not done anything to
‗cultivate‘ this sector. In the sixties, we were ahead in Asia. Students from different
countries came here to study agriculture and its technology. But what happened? They
are now better than us. Somehow, we lost in the race.
Yes, we have been blessed with different kinds of bodies of water, lands that are lush
and fertile, and a climate that is favorable in growing various kinds of high valued crops
and raising livestock, poultry and other farm animals. But due to economic
industrialization, this industry has been challenged. Our priorities have changed almost
forgetting our fundamental need for survival. And according to reports, the agricultural
sector employs only 25.96 percent of the Filipino workers as of November 2017. This is
very low compared to many countries who prioritize and give more importance to it.
Agriculture plays an important role in the country‘s economy. This is measured as the
value added of the agricultural sector as percent of GDP. According to the World Bank
data from 1960 to 2016, the average value for the Philippines during the period was
21.36 percent with a minimum of 9.65 percent in 2016 and a maximum of 31.06 percent
in 1974. This shows a sad truth that the percent of GDP (value added) contributed from
the agriculture sector continues to decrease. Although people still think of the
Philippines as an agricultural economy, strictly speaking, and based on the data, this is
not the case.
The farmers lack support, training and a moral boost. First, they lack basic skills in
farming. Many are not educated or are only elementary graduates. Second, good
fertilizers, pesticides and seeds are imported from other countries, making them very
expensive and unaffordable for the lowly farmer. Third, the government has not
developed a good infrastructure for farmers (i.e. farm-to-market roads, irrigation system,
drying facilities and milling centers, etc.). Fourth, most of our farmers do not own the
land they till. They cannot maximize the use of the land that results in low income. And
since they are just tenants, some landowners require a 50-50 share of the product, thus
leaving only half of the produce to the farmers. Fifth, farmers have difficulty in financing
their farming endeavors due to the high rates of borrowing institutions. And when
harvest time arrives, the money from the sale is only enough to pay their debts and
nothing is left for them. Sixth, farmers lack protection from the middlemen who take
advantage of their weaknesses. The middlemen buy their products at a very low cost
and the Department of Agriculture always seems to be turning a blind eye on these
culprits.
During the Innovation Olympics 2018 held at the 8 Waves Resorts in Bulacan last April,
East-West Seeds Philippines general manager Henk Hermans said that farmers
represent the second poorest sector in the country. This has resulted in the young
people‘s disenchantment in pursuing a career in agriculture. He noted that the average
age of Filipino farmers is 57-59 years old and therefore there is a great need to
encourage the youth to engage in crop production to ensure the country‘s food security.
He also pointed out that our farming practices are outdated, and majority of the farmers
are reluctant to use modern technology in farming, making their work labor intensive
and unsustainable.
The government has recognized the declining contribution of the agricultural sector in
the country‘s GDP and this drop in its performance is attributed to its vulnerability
towards extreme weather events (drought and typhoons), infestations (coconut scale
insects), and poor adoption of high-yielding varieties at the end of the farmers. The
restricted crop production diversification of farms particularly concentrating on rice, corn,
and sugarcane impedes the optimization of the land potential. Other longstanding
issues such as the limited access to credit and insurance, low farm mechanization and
inadequate postharvest facilities, inadequate irrigation, limited support R & D, weak
extension service, ageing farmers, agrarian reform, limited connection between
production area and markets, poor compliance with product standards, competing land
use, and weak institutions have also been recognized. But we need action!
The Philippine Development Plan for 2017-2022 seeks to: expand economic
opportunities for those who are engaged in agriculture; increase access to economic
opportunities for small farmers. Based on the legislative agenda, the development plan
supports the following strategies to: abolish irrigation service fees for small farmers;
comprehensive Forestry Law and delineation of Specific Forest Limits; amend the
revised chapter of the Philippine Crop Insurance Corporation to increase capital stock;
amend Presidential Decree No. 4 series of 1972 to separate the regulatory and
propriety functions of the National Food Authority; amend the Agriculture Tarrification
Act of 1996; provide guidelines for the utilization of coco levy fund; pass the National
Land Use Act to protect prime agricultural lands; and genuine and comprehensive
Agrarian Reform Program to distribute for free without amortization agricultural lands to
landless farmers and agricultural workers (NEDA, 2017). So, what gives?
Last year the Department of Agriculture had a budget allocation of P46 billion. This year
the budget is P60.6 billion. Next year, it is expected to go up to P124 billion. Yes, the
DA has the budget but they don‘t seem to have the brains and the balls to get things
going. They continue to point fingers on the past administrators. Every Agriculture
Secretary has a reason for the season. Sanamagan! Just do it!
UPLB Center for Technology Entrepreneurship executive director Glenn Baticados said
that agriculture today is more than just a farmer simply planting a crop, growing
livestock, or catching fish. He said, ―It takes an ecosystem and several actors to work
together to produce and deliver the food we need. It is this dynamic and complex
ecosystem that will equip agriculture to cope with the competing challenges of
addressing food safety and food security, creating inclusive livelihoods, mitigating
climate change and sustainably managing natural resources.‖
Agriculture constitutes the foundation of food security. As such, it is imperative that all
concerned bodies work together, innovate continuously, collaborate in research and
development to meet future challenges in agriculture.
ISSUES ABOUT AGRICULTURE
RICE TARIFFICATION LAW
Duterte urges farmers: Give Rice Tariffication Law a chance
By CNN Philippines Staff
Published Jan 10, 2020 9:26:22 PM
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, January 10) — President Rodrigo Duterte urged
farmers on Friday to "give the Rice Tariffication Law a chance," saying this will benefit
their sector in the long run.
"Let me take this opportunity to encourage you to give the Rice Tariffication Law a
chance. Let me assure you that in the long run, this measure will not only strengthen
our economy but also provide you opportunities for your sector," said Duterte in a
speech during a ceremonial distribution of agricultural assistance to farmer groups in
Region 12.
The Rice Tariffication Law removes quantitative limits on rice trading and puts a
minimum 35 percent tariff on imports.
Duterte enacted the measure into law in February last year to bring down the price of
rice by increasing supply through importation, but this in turn, affected the income of
local farmers due to lower prices of palay or unmilled rice. The President even told
Congress in November to allot a budget for the purchase of all local farmers' rice
produce.
The President now assures that there are measures in place to help farmers cope with
the lower prices.
The Department of Finance also released a report on the gains from the Rice
Tariffication Law from last year. The DOF said that due to cheaper rice prices, headline
inflation dropped despite hitting a nine-year-high of 6.7 percent in 2018. The latest
inflation rate was at 2.5 percent in December 2019.
Around ₱12.3 billion in revenues were brought in by the law as of December 31, 2019,
DOF added. The revenue is earmarked for the ₱10 billion Rice Competitiveness
Enhancement Fund that aims to provide farmers access to cheap but high quality seeds
and machinery. However, when the law was enacted last year, farmer groups already
said the amount may not be enough.
Nine months later, the Federation of Free Farmers in November estimated more or less
₱140 billion worth of losses for farmers.
The Philippine Rice Tariffication Law: Implications and Issues
2019-05-23
Annette M. Tobias1
1 Science Research Specialist II, Socio-Economics Research Division (SERD),
Philippine Council for Agriculture, Aquatic and Natural Resources Research and
Development (PCAARRD), Department of Science and Technology (DOST),
Los Ba
ABSTRACT
The Philippine rice sector has always been the center of government agricultural
policies. The focal points of the policies revolve around promoting food self-sufficiency,
providing high income to rice farmers while making prices affordable to the consuming
public. The accession to WTO provided for the revision of the quantitative restrictions
(QRs) and reduce tariff protection. Rice was exempted from tariffication. The Philippines
opened up imports on rice under a minimum access volume (MAV) which is in operation
equivalent to QRs. The QR regime mandated for conversion into tariff protection from
2005- 2012 and a waiver to maintain QR up to June 30, 2017. The Philippines‘
membership to the WTO for 24 years aimed to counter the impact of the expected influx
of cheap rice imports. The Rice Tariffication Law signed into law by President Rodrigo
Duterte on February 14, 2019 amends the Agricultural Tariffication Act of 1996 that
imposed tariff to agricultural imports except for rice. The law was prompted because of
the surging inflation of rice price during the last quarter of 2018 after the rice stocks of
NFA ran out. As Filipinos continue to struggle with inflation, the government found ways
to temper rising inflation.
OVERVIEW OF PHILIPPINE RICE INDUSTRY
The Philippines became self-sufficient in rice in the 1970s and was a rice exporter to
neighboring countries such as Indonesia, China, and Myanmar. However, with the rapid
increase in population and limited land resources to produce the total rice requirement,
the country slowly turned into a net rice importer. The Philippines is the second largest
rice importer in the world next to China (Simeon, 2019). In 2017, the country imports
rice mainly from Vietnam (52%) and Thailand (29%) (Santiago, 2019).
Rice is a highly political commodity because it is the country‘s main staple. It has always
been the center of government agricultural policies. The focal points of the policies
revolve around promoting food self-sufficiency, providing high income to rice farmers
while making prices affordable to the consuming public (Tobias et al., 2011)
THE PHILIPPINES IN THE WTO
In 1995, the Philippines acceded to the WTO with the premise of revising QRs and
reduce tariff protection. Rice, however, was exempted from tariffication. The Philippines
opened up imports on rice under a minimum access volume (MAV) which is in operation
equivalent to Quantitative Restrictions (QRs). The QR regime of the Philippines was
mandated for conversion into tariff protection. The country obtained a special treatment
for rice up to 2005, which was later on extended until 2012. The Philippines has been
applying for extensions of QR on rice since 1995. Eventually, the Philippines acquired a
waiver to maintain QR up to June 30, 2017.
The Philippines‘ membership to WTO for 24 years aimed to counter the impact of the
expected influx of cheap rice imports. The country apparently has been extending
protection primarily to safeguard the local rice farmers from increased competition of
imported rice. Another reason the Philippines had been pushing for a two-year
extension of the restriction is to achieve rice self-sufficiency by 2020. However, given
that QR on rice shall be retained, consumers shall continue to bear the burden of
overpriced rice, with the poorest households bearing the burden. Based on the 2012
Family Income and Expenditure Survey, the richest 20% of households only devote 3%
of their spending on rice while poorer income groups tend to allocate greater share for
rice (PIDS, 2012).
THE RICE TARIFFICATION LAW
The Rice Tariffication Law titled ―An Act liberalizing the importation, exportation, and
trading of rice, lifting for the purpose the quantitative import restriction on rice, and for
other purposes‖ was signed into law by President Rodrigo Roa Duterte on February 14,
2019. This is also known as the Rice Liberalization Act or Republic Act No. 11203,
which amends the Agricultural Tariffication Act of 1996 that imposed tariff to agricultural
imports except for rice. Primarily, the law aims to lift the quantitative restriction (QR) on
rice imports and replace it with a general tariff. The Agricultural Tariffication Act of 1996
served as the Philippine government‘s compliance to our obligation to WTO, lifting QRs
and imposing tariff to agricultural products. The law aims to protect local farmers from
the entry of more imported rice into the country through the imposition of 35% tariff on
rice coming from member-countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations
(ASEAN) like Thailand and Vietnam. For non-ASEAN countries, 40% tariff is imposed.
The collected tariffs will be used to fund mass irrigation, warehousing, and rice
research.
Objectives of the Tariffication Law
Fulfill our international commitment when we joined the World Trade Organization in
1995. Replace the QR on rice with another form of protection that is more transparent
and generate revenues to support the sector – or a tariff.
Ensure the availability of rice in the domestic market for the accessibility of greater
majority of the population by allowing more private traders (big or small) to participate in
importing rice.
Lower domestic rice prices to levels that would be affordable to greater majority of the
population.
Make domestic market function effectively and efficiently with much reduced/no
government intervention.
Provide farmers equivalent protection with the imposition of 35 % or higher tariff rates
on rice imports and preferential assistance to rice farmers, adversely affected by
tariffication.
Provide opportunity for farmers to earn more in the world market. The law also lifted the
restriction on rice exports to encourage farmers to produce much better quality
heirloom/ traditional rice geared to exports.
Key provisions of the rice tariffication act
Tariffication. Tariffs are set at 35% tariff rate on all rice imports from ASEAN countries,
and a 40% tariff on all imports from non-ASEAN countries.
Lifting of quantitative restriction on imports and exports. Removal of the QR will also
increase imports and depress ―palay‖ prices.
Powers of the President. Upon the recommendation of NEDA and as advised by the
National Food Authority Council (NFAC), the President ―may increase, reduce, revise or
adjust existing rates of import duty up to the bound rate‖ of rice tariffs. In case of
―imminent or forecasted shortage,‖ the draft IRR provides that the President may allow
the importation of rice at a lower applied tariff ―for a limited period and/or specified
volume‖ to address the situation.
Creation of the Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund (RCEF). A fund that will be
created from tariff revenues of rice imports and will be used to directly support rice
farmers and fund innovative undertakings of the government to further strengthen the
rice industry. It aims to provide key interventions to support farmers and enhance their
competitiveness and profitability, including farm machinery and equipment to improve
farm operations, rice seed development, propagation, and promotion, expanded rice
credit, and extension services. The RCEF will be allocated to rice producing areas and
earmarked as follows:
50% will go to the Philippine Center for Postharvest Development and Modernization
(PhilMech) to provide farmers with rice farm machineries and equipment;
30% will be released to the Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice) to be used for
the development, propagation and promotion of inbred rice seeds to rice farmers and
the organization of rice farmers into seed growers‘ associations engaged in seed
production and trade;
10% will be made available in the form of credit facility with minimal interest rates and
with minimum collateral requirements to rice farmers and cooperatives to be managed
by the Land Bank of the Philippines and the Development Bank of the Philippines; and
10% will be set aside to fund extension services by PhilMech, Agricultural Training
Institute (ATI), and the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA)
for teaching skills on rice crop production, modern rice farming techniques, seed
production, farm mechanization, and knowledge/ technology transfer through farm
schools nationwide.
Rice industry road map. The Department of Agriculture (DA), together with relevant
agencies, will have to formulate a Rice Industry Roadmap to spell out the critical
interventions that need to be put in place to assist the small rice farmers, especially
those that will be most affected by the tariffication. DA Secretary Emmanuel Piñol
issued Special Order No. 358 which created a National Rice Roadmap Team.
Issuance of Sanitary and Phytosanitary Import Clearance for Rice for the Sole Purpose.
The law allows unlimited importation of rice as long as private sector traders secure a
phytosanitary permit from the Bureau of Plant Industry and pay the 35% tariff for
shipments from neighbors in Southeast Asia. This covers even rice importation for the
purposes of donation during calamities and emergency situations. In these instances,
the agency/office/organization or private entities, if they are based in the Philippines, will
be required to secure phytosanitary import clearances (SPSIC).
National Single Window Program. A proposed measure the setting up of a single

window system for rice by the Bureau of Customs to address rice smuggling.
Exclusion and transfer of the regulatory function of the National Food Authority (NFA) to
the Bureau of Plant Industry (BPI). NFA will retain its power to maintain a rice buffer
stock which will be used in emergency situations and to sustain the government's
disaster relief programs. Rice for this purpose will be sourced solely from local farmers.
Special Rice Safeguard. The Implementing Rules and Guidelines (IRR) provides for a
Special Rice Safeguard to help protect local rice farmers from sudden or extreme price
volatilities. These will be imposed in accordance with RA 8800 or the Safeguard
Measures Act and its IRR.
Priority beneficiaries of mechanization. There are 1,100 producing towns that have been
identified as priority beneficiaries of mechanization in the form of tractors, transplanters,
harvesters, dryers, and rice milling equipment.
Rice Farmer Financial Assistance program. Focuses on rice farmers, cooperatives, and
associations adversely affected by rice tariffication. Also allocates tariff revenues in
excess of Php10 billion to the Rice Farmer Financial Assistance program to
compensate rice farmers who will lose income as a result of the measure. A portion of
the excess tariff will be allocated to titling rice lands, expanded crop insurance, and crop
diversification program.
Rice tariffication and Inflation
The newly approved Rice Tariffication Law, approved by Congress on November 2018,
will remove the National Food Authority‘s (NFA) power to import and distribute cheaper
rice. With Senator Cynthia Villar as the principal author, the measure was prepared
jointly by the Committees on Agriculture and Food, on Ways and Means, and on
Finance. It is in substitution of Senate Bill Nos. 1476, 1689, 1839, taking into
consideration Proposed Senate Resolution Nos. 143, 146 and House Bill No. 7735, with
Senators Ralph Recto, Leila De Lima, Joel Villanueva, Risa Hontiveros, Grace Poe,
Sherwin Gatchalian and Cynthia Villar as authors.
Pres. Rodrigo Duterte signed into law the Rice Tariffication Bill which was imposed
recently on March 5, 2019. The law was prompted because of the surging inflation of
rice price during the last quarter of 2018 after the rice stocks of NFA ran out. Further,
according to Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) data, rice was the number one
contributor to inflation in September 2018, while food items in the consumption basket
accounted for more than half of the inflation rate in the same month. Consumers
bought regular-milled rice at an average price of Php 37.89/kg (US$ 0.72/kg) and well-
milled rice at Php 41.93/kg (US$ 0.80/kg). Prices of rice have continued to go up since
then. Farmers enjoyed the highest buying price for ―palay‖ which was recorded at Php
22.00/kg. The rise in rice prices, both at the farm-gate and retail levels, contributed
significantly to inflation. As Filipinos continue to struggle with inflation, the government
found ways to temper rising inflation. One way of doing it is by passing the Rice
Tariffication Bill.
On the other hand, according to the National Economic and Development Authority
(NEDA), rice tariffication will directly benefit farmers and the poor through lower rice
prices and increased government assistance to the agricultural sector. The newly-
signed law provides for the establishment of the Rice Competitiveness Enhancement
Fund (RCEF), which will pipe in Php10 billion (US$ 190.84) annually to the rice sector
for the next six years. The RCEF is allocated for the procurement of farm machinery
and equipment, rice development, propagation and promotion, as well as expanded rice
credit and extension services.
Meanwhile, the NEDA is taking the lead in crafting the Implementing Rules and
Guidelines (IRR) of the Rice Tariffication Law along with the Department of Budget and
Management, Department of Agriculture, and other concerned government agencies to
ensure the country‘s smooth transition to a new rice regime. This draft IRR takes into
account the feedback and concerns brought up by various stakeholders during the
drafting of the bill and after it was signed into law.
The following sections present the objectives, key provisions and possible implications
and issues associated with the enactment of the Rice Tariffication Law.
Effects of rice tariffication
Positive
Lower retail prices for consumers. Possible savings for the consumers as it allows no
limit in terms of the volume of imports which will eventually stabilize prices. However, in
the long run, the economy could benefit more from the adoption of import tariffs than
implementation of QRS which limit the entry of commodities and may lead to unstable
prices.
Address the rice shortage. Would address the urgent need to improve availability of rice
in the country, prevent artificial rice shortages, reduce the prices of rice in the market,
and curtail corruption and cartel domination in the rice industry.
Lower inflation rates. The law will also reduce government's role in rice importation and
lead to more rice imports by the private sector, thus, lowering rice prices and help tame
inflation.
Interventions to support rice farmers. RCEF will provide key interventions to support
farmers and enhance their competitiveness and profitability, including farm machinery
and equipment to improve farm operations, rice seed development, propagation, and
promotion, expanded rice credit, and extension services. Likewise, it will open up a
window for farmers to export and contribute to the world market.
Negative
New law lacks safety nets for Filipino farmers. Farmer groups clamor that the new law
will make them compete with cheap rice imports, making them more penniless.
Measures should be in place to ensure that Filipino farmers will not suffer with the rice
tariffication law and that "safety nets" are available for farmers. While it has its good
points, the lack of government regulation worries stakeholders.
Potential displacement of farmers, NFA employees, accredited NFA retailers, rice

millers and rice by-product producers. Aside from the obvious displacement of rice
farmers, NFA employees, and some 90,000 accredited NFA rice retailers nationwide,
the deregulation of rice imports goes beyond the industry. Some of the businesses and
industries that will be affected by liberalized rice importation includes the following:
Millers. There are around 6,600 registered rice millers all over the country, employing
55,000 workers. Industry stakeholders, in a position paper, said that a complete milling
facility costs from Php 30 million (US$572,519.08) to Php 50 million
(US$954,198.47)1 . This would place the value of the whole industry itself at Php200
billion (US$ 3.82 billion) to Php300 billion (US$ 5.73) ( (Orly Manuntag, Confideartion of
Grains Retailers Association of the Philippines).
Animal feeds and beer industry. A by-product of the rice milling process, the rice bran is
used for making animal and aquaculture feeds. A shortage in local unhusked rice
production would also mean there would be a drop in its by-product. If feed mills
produce less, it would cause a possible increase in the prices of pork and chicken which
use rice bran as major ingredient for its feeds. Another by-product which comes from
the milling process is the brewer's rice or ―binlid‖ which is used in manufacturing
alcoholic drinks, particularly beer.
Biomass, construction industry. A drop in local rice output will also mean a decrease in
rice hull, which is used as fuel for biomass furnaces used in the provinces to provide
electricity. Rice hulls are also used as a binder for cement and land fillers (Orly
Manuntag, Confideartion of Grains Retailers Association of the Philippines).
Enable cartels of the rice trade and will throw poor sectors into a worsened state of
hunger. There is no guarantee that retail rice prices will be lower in the long run with
unhampered importation. Relying on rice imports makes the country vulnerable to
higher world market prices as well as to rice production and export decisions of other
countries. In 2008, for instance, Vietnam, India and Pakistan restricted their rice exports
amid rising global rice prices. Thailand also raised the idea of creating a global rice
cartel similar to that for oil exporting countries.
Some salient issues on rice tariffication
Rice imports are cheaper than domestically produced rice. Under a free market, the
market price of rice will decline with the influx of cheaper rice imports.
Liberalizing rice imports will help, but will not solve the Philippines' inflation problem.
Tariff are set at 35% tariff rate on all rice imports from ASEAN countries, and a 40%
tariff on all imports from non-ASEAN countries. However, some experts claim these
tariff rates are still too high, and lower rates (10% to 20%) might be more feasible in
keeping with the central goal of making rice more affordable for Filipinos. While this will
result in imported rice becoming more expensive, the flood of imported grains will still
threaten local produce and worse, affects the farmers.
To ensure that the rice to be imported will not be infested by pathogens or pests like
bukbok (weevils), the new law requires that all private players secure ―sanitary and
phytosanitary import clearances‖ from BPI before they can import. Past experience tells
us that this could be prone to abuse (Dr. Ramon Clarete, University of the Philippines
School of Economics).
The Rice Fund will be put to better use if it were focused instead on improving rice
farmers‘ access to credit and crop insurance (Dr. Emil Q. Javier, National Academy of
Science and Technology).
CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION
Much has been said on the ratification of the Rice Tariffication Act. However, the main
concern is the negative impact of the rice tariffication law on local farmers, saying that
the ―over supply‖ of cheap rice could adversely affect them following its implementation.
On the other hand, the law is seen to help expand the access of Filipinos to cheap rice
that in return will prevent inflation pitch brought in large part by the supply.
Nevertheless, the core concern of the government should be on how to prevent 2.4
million rice farmers and farm workers from getting poorer because of the
implementation of the new law. Although special key provisions are already laid out to
protect the farmers and the consumers, the focus is on the proper implementation so
that everyone should benefit from the law.
The newly-signed law provides for the establishment of the Rice Competitiveness
Enhancement Fund (RCEF), which will pipe in Php10 billion (US$ 190.84 million)
annually to the rice sector for the next six years. The RCEF is allocated for the
procurement of farm machinery and equipment, rice development, propagation and
promotion, as well as expanded rice credit and extension services. RCEF is a package
of support programs to help the farmers and serve as safeguard to cushion the sudden
effects of inflation. However, it is imperative that DA to strongly support the local rice
industry and diligently perform its mandated functions in identifying eligible beneficiaries
which include farmers, other farm workers, rice cooperatives and associations. Most
importantly, in crafting the IRR, research and development should be highlighted since it
has been proven to help develop improved technologies and increase farmers‘ income.
Philippine agriculture again misses growth target in 2019
Philippine agricultural growth settles below 1% in 2019, as typhoons hit critical areas
and African swine fever spread in Luzon
MANILA, Philippines – Philippine agriculture continued to post dismal growth in 2019,

as natural calamities and the African swine fever spread in Luzon.
The Philippine Statistics Authority reported on Wednesday, January 22, that growth
during the 4th quarter of 2019 was only at 0.4%, a contraction from the 2.9% growth in
the 3rd quarter.
Crops, poultry, and fisheries posted increases in production, while livestock production
contracted.
Agricultural production during the last quarter was estimated at P492 billion, 5.3% lower
than in 2018.
Full-year agricultural growth was at 0.7%, inching up from the 0.6% in 2018. The
Department of Agriculture (DA) targeted growth to hit at least 2%. (READ: William Dar
aims to quadruple agri growth, double farmers' income)
"In the 3rd and last quarter of 2019, the country was badly affected by the African swine
fever which continues up to this day," Agriculture Secretary William Dar said.
"On top of that, we were disturbed by natural disasters such as powerful typhoons Tisoy
and Ursula," he added.
The DA maintained the same growth target for 2020. – Rappler.com
PH bans poultry products from Poland after bird flu outbreak
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, January 27) — The Department of Agriculture

temporarily banned the entry of poultry products from Poland on Monday, following an
outbreak of H5N8 Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI).
Memorandum Order no.5, series of 2020 says that the temporary ban includes the
―importation of domestic and wild birds, and their products including poultry meat, day
old chicks, eggs and semen originating from Poland.‖
According to the World Health Organization, the A(H5N8) or the HPAI is a subtype of
the Avian Influenza virus that affects wild and migratory birds that also cause outbreak
in domestic poultry. However, it is unlikely for humans to obtain the virus.
But to take precautionary measures, Agriculture Secretary William Dar, enumerated a

couple of guidelines concerning the importation of domestic and wild birds and their by-
products.
"There is a need to prevent the entry of HPAI virus to protect the health of the local
poultry population." the memorandum read.
Aside from the ban, there will be an immediate suspension of the processing, and
evaluation of the application and issuance of the Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS)
import clearance to the said commodities.
The SPS Agreement is implemented by the World Trade Organization regarding the
application of food safety, and animal and plant health regulations.
Frozen poultry meat with process or slaughter date of 21 days prior to the outbreaks will
also be allowed to enter the country subject to veterinary quarantine rules and
regulations.
Lastly, the importation of poultry meat will be subject to the conditions provided in the
OIE Terrestrial Animal Health Code of 2019, which gives the worldwide standards on
animal health and welfare, and veterinary public health.
On the other hand, there was a reported increase in poultry produce from local farms in
2019. According to CNN Philippines, there was a 4.1 percent increase in chicken meat,
while there was an 11.3 percent rise in egg supply.
The Rice Tariffication Law and How it Affects You
While the Philippines has around 4.80 million hectares of rice farmland, the country‘s
rice industry isn‘t as stable and globally competitive as one would hope. In September
2018 for instance, Filipinos paid around P45.57/kg of rice, while Thailand and Vietnam
paid P25.00 less per kilo for their rice due to lower cost of production and more efficient
markets. Local rice farmers still can‘t compete with our neighboring countries, even with
the international trade protection and multibillion-peso programs by the government for
the sector.
The bottom line: Filipinos are paying too much for rice and local farmers aren‘t doing so
well either.
This is where the Rice Tariffication Law (RTL) or Republic Act 11203 comes into the
picture. This law opens the Philippine rice market and places a minimum 35% tariff on
imported rice. This means that while rice from other countries is cheaper, the tariff
imposed on them would level the playing field for less efficient local producers. This
stable supply of rice also helps lower rice prices for Filipino consumers.
Meanwhile, tariff revenues go to the Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund (RCEF),

which is being utilized for programs dedicated to increasing yield and boosting the
income of our farmers.
Under the RCEF and other programs, total tariff revenues or 10 billion pesos, whichever
is higher, are allocated annually for the provision of modern farm equipment, high-
yielding seeds, expanded credit assistance, training for local rice farmers, etc. These
programs are expected to help bring down the cost of palay production, boosting the
disposable income of our farmers.
The government is also implementing other measures to help farmers adjust to the new
rice trade regime, such as the distribution of Rice Farmer Financial Assistance and
provision of zero-interest loans, among other existing programs being implemented for
the sector.
For the average rice-eating Filipino, here‘s how the RTL can affect you:
1. Rice will be made affordable for everyone.

Since the RTL, retail prices of rice have dropped by an average of P9/kg compared to
September last year, making it more affordable for everyone. This is good news for over
100 million Filipinos, including farmers who buy rice during non-harvest season and the
poor households who spend 20 percent of their budget on the staple.
2. Workers can have more disposable income.

Workers will feel their real income increase as the price of rice decreases. Money saved
can be put into their savings, education of their children, emergency funds, or other
investments.
3. Taxes can now be allocated to other sectors.

Filipinos‘ tax payments will no longer heavily subsidize the National Food Authority
(NFA) under the RTL. Taxpayers‘ money can now be allocated to other programs that
improve education, healthcare, public works, and more.
4. People can improve their nutrition and well-being

As more Filipinos gain access to affordable and high-quality rice, the country will have
about 2.1 million less hungry people and malnourished children by 2025.
5. You will be helping farmers become globally competitive.

The RTL also protects farmers and modernizes their livelihood. About P10 billion from
RCEF are allocated to upgrading farmers‘ equipment and the distribution of high-quality
rice seeds. Farmers are also given programs for skills enhancement, financial and rice
credit assistance, and crop insurance. As farmers‘ agricultural methods improve, so do
their productivity and income.
The Rice Tariffication Law addresses major problems from the current agricultural
system to make the country‘s rice sector more efficient, progressive, and competitive. It
safeguards the welfare of local rice farmers and ensures that every Filipino will always
have food on their plates.
Ban on live animals’ shipment eyed amid ASF scare – Agriculture Dept.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, February 7)— The Agriculture Department is seeking to
implement a nationwide ban on the shipment of live animals— amid the resurgence of
the African Swine Fever (ASF) in parts of southern Philippines.
Agriculture Undersecretary for Consumer Affairs Ernesto Gonzales said the move is
necessary to curb the spread of the hog disease, which has affected thousands of pigs
in the Davao region.
Gonzales added the swine fever can likely spread to other provinces due to the
transportation of live pigs.
“Ang risk of transmission is very high kasi kung saan saan pa dadaan ang mga
sasakyan,‖ Gonzales said in an interview Friday.
[Translation: The risk of transmission is very because the vehicles pass through may
different places.]
As an alternative, the official proposed the establishment of meat packing zones in

every region. Instead of shipping live hogs, boxed meats can be delivered across
provinces through a refrigerated van, he added.
The ASF scare in the Philippines began as early as July 2019, with cases reported in
parts of Luzon including Rizal, Bulacan, Pampanga, and Quezon City.
LOOK: A timeline of African Swine Fever in the PH
Months after its outbreak in northern areas of the country, the disease also reached Don
Marcelino town in Davao Occidental— killing around 1,000 pigs in the process. The
incident also marked the first confirmed case of the hog virus in Mindanao.
Davao City also reported new swine fever cases on Thursday, with around 30 pigs
affected by the infection.
Some local government units— including Southern Leyte and Borongan City in Eastern
Samar— have enforced a temporary ban on the entry of pork and pork products in their
respective areas.
The Agriculture Department this month also ordered a temporary ban on the importation
of poultry products— including meat and eggs— from Czech Republic, one of the
countries hit by the deadly swine virus.
The ASF, which does not pose health risks on humans, quickly spreads in an affected
hog and can lead to sudden death.
Agricultural damage from Taal eruption hits ₱3.06-B
Taal Volcano‘s eruption has caused severe damage to the Philippines‘ agricultural
sector, with losses climbing to ₱3.06 billion, the Agriculture Department said. (FILE
PHOTO)
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, January 17)— Taal Volcano‘s eruption has caused
severe damage to the Philippines‘ agricultural sector, with losses climbing to ₱3.06
billion, the Agriculture Department said Friday.
Affected were coffee, cacao, pineapple, rice, coconut, and other high value agricultural
produce, the department said in its latest bulletin.
The fisheries sector meanwhile recorded the highest value of damage after the eruption,
as it lost ₱1.6 billion for the tilapia and milkfish (bangus) culture around the Taal lake.
The eruptive activity also affected 15,970 hectares of land as well as 1,923 animals in
the Calabarzon region. It was not immediately clear if the animals mentioned refers to
those who died or were injured.
The department earlier assured affected farmers and fisherfolk in the region that they
will be provided ₱21.7 million in cash aid to help them get back on their feet.
It added appropriate agencies have already delivered feeds and medicine to all the
rescued livestock.
Over 15,000 families or about 66,000 individuals have been evacuated following Taal‘s
steam-driven eruption on Sunday.
With Alert Level 4 raised, volcanologists have warned of a possible ―hazardous

explosive eruption‖ soon. This prompted the local governments
of Batangas and Cavite to place the provinces under state of calamity.
Despite Taal's reduced activity on Thursday, state scientists said they will still have to
observe the downtrend — before deciding whether to lower the alert level over the
volcano.
Agrarian reform in the Duterte administration
The evaluation of the current land acquisition and distribution (LAD) record under the
Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP) must be viewed in context, to see
the true picture of CARP in this administration.
Previous administrations boast of high LAD performance simply because CARP during
the earlier periods focused on alienable and disposable lands of the public domain
(A&D lands), and unused agricultural government-owned lands (GOLs). These types of
lands subjected to CARP were unopposed. Private agricultural lands (PALs) occupy the
last rung in the implementation ladder. PALs are difficult to cover under CARP due to
the resistance of landowners. The challenges from landowners have the net effect of
dragging, if not altogether halting, CARP implementation.
Republic Act No. 9700 (CARP Extension with Reforms or Carper) sets June 30, 2014,
as the deadline for the issuance of the notice of coverage (NOC), which is the first legal
step in the LAD activity. Congress wanted to complete LAD by 2014, subject to a
master plan to be formulated by the Presidential Agrarian Reform Council (PARC). It did
not come to fruition because no plan was formulated. PARC was in hiatus for 10 years
(2006 to 2016) when the Carper deadline took effect.
The majority of agrarian reform titles issued under the CARP were collective certificates
of land ownership award (Cloas). The collective title is far easier to issue than individual
titles. The DAR simply cancelled the certificate of title and substituted it with a collective
Cloa. There was no field investigation and no partitioning of the awarded land. In other
words, CARP coverage, via the issuance of collective Cloas, provided a ―shortcut‖ to
CARP implementation.
Despite the difficulties, the CARP under President Duterte is in a period of reawakening.
This is the second phase of agrarian reform.
President Duterte reactivated the PARC on Sept. 12, 2016. The PARC immediately
revoked stock distribution option plans and agribusiness venture arrangements, which
ran counter to the provisions of agrarian reform laws.
Aware of the restrictions imposed by the Carper deadline, the President issued
Executive Order No. 75, Series of 2019, to cover unused GOLs, thus making available
at least 300,000 hectares to our landless farmers and farmworkers. The inventory
includes the Yulo King Ranch or YKR in Busuanga, Coron in Palawan (8,000 hectares),
the Davao Penal Colony or Dapecol in Davao del Norte (5,000 hectares) and the Aurora
State College of Technology or Ascot in Baler, Aurora (110 hectares).
The President mandated the DAR to parcelize all collective Cloas, and provided funding
for this parcelization through the use of government and international funding facilities.
He also directed the DAR to complete the LAD process by 2022.
The President is focusing on the distribution of Cloas to agrarian reform beneficiaries
(ARBs) nationwide. Agrarian reform cooperatives and the unbanked segment of the
ARBs have increased credit access through the Land Bank of the Philippines.
The Duterte administration is heir to an agrarian reform program with several

shortcomings. While it is a fact that 4.8 million hectares of agricultural lands have been
distributed to 2.7 million ARBs, there is still a lack of sufficient support services to ARBs
and their dependents. The lack of support services is the proximate cause why ARBs
engage in illegal sales or lease transactions.
The CARP in the Philippine setting has a mixed record. We have successful agrarian
reform cooperatives. Inversely, there are ARBs who are still waiting to be installed
despite the fact that Cloas have been issued to them. We have ARBs in possession of
their awarded titles who have been removed from what they already own through violent
means.
SOLUTIONS FOR THE IMPROVEMENT OF AGRICULTURE IN THE PHILIPPINES
The Philippines is currently facing different problems especially in the sector of

agriculture. These are some of the problems we think that needs an urgent solution.
1. Small farm size; 78% farms are less than 3 hectares.

Most of our farms are have already shrunk in size due to the fast growth of our
population. Therefore, our country needs to build more houses, sacrificing the
agricultural sector of our country.
Evidence:
To combat the lack of resources and lands the farmers had, the Philippine Government
issued several Land Reform Programs. Just like the Republic Act (RA) 6657 which was
implemented under Cory Aquino‘s time with aims to redistribute lands both public and
privately while providing appropriate support services to help the beneficiaries become
independent small landowners.
2. Land is being encroached upon by the housing and industrial sectors

This is quite the same as the first one. Basically, this problem caused the first problem
to happen due to the same reasons.
3. Absence of critical programs on efficient irrigation systems

Irrigation is an important factor in agriculture. Irrigation helps farmers keep their crops
well-hydrated and moist, especially during the warm seasons. Without irrigation, the soil
would become dry and the crops will wilt.
4. Inadequate management programs on soil, pests and diseases

Pests and crop diseases have been a major problem in the agricultural sector of the
Philippines. It lacks funding from the government. If these pests and diseases were to
be left out of control, famine would crawl across our country.
5. Reduced farm labor

Due to the fast industrialization of our country, many people prefer to do industrialized
work instead of planting crops for the nation to eat. Our farmers have started to grow
old, and only few are replacing our old farmers.
6. Expensive and inappropriate farm equipment for small farmers

Since we do not have much money for spending in agricultural needs, machinery
needed for this has become a great expense for our pockets.
7. Climate change and natural disasters

Our country is known to be prone to natural disasters like typhoons and earthquakes.
What is not seen is that most of our crops cannot resist extreme weather conditions like
these. Encroaching climate change can also affect our agriculture due to its effects like
droughts.
Evidence:
Climate change and natural disasters are inevitable. The National Economic and
Development Authority (NEDA) is responsible for advising the Philippine President on
national development planning. This provides technical support in coordinating the
formulation of national plans and policies for agriculture, natural resources and agrarian
re-form sectors.
8. Inadequate technology transfer mechanisms

Our technology regarding agriculture is not given enough attention. Our country lacks
machinery and technology to improve our produce.
Solutions of the Mendelian Economists
1. Small farm size; 78% farms are less than 3 hectares.

2. Land is being encroached upon by the housing and industrial sectors
In order to solve these problems, it is good to consider the natural state of our farm
lands. Most farm lands are being replaced by buildings and houses dute to globalization
but maintaining these lands will help for the development in our agriculture.
3. Absence of critical programs on efficient irrigation systems
4. Inadequate management programs on soil, pests and diseases.
To control and stop these problems, awareness is important as well as having a voice
and a stand in terms of this topic. Programs should be implemented by the government
and providing subsidies for the irrigation systems of the land. As a part of millennials,
we can share our thoughts using social media to campaign our advocacy to better
improve our economy especially in agriculture for we depend on it in terms of
production.
5. Reduced farm labor
To make the agricultural sector lively again, we can encourage citizens to farm again
through campaigning and education. Anything can be sparked using bare knowledge
and motivation.
Evidence:
The number of Filipino farmers lessens each year. The average age of a Filipino farmer
is 57. The government has thought of ways in the past to fight this issue. For example
the Republic Act No. 602 with a goal to establish a minimum wage law, to make it easier
for farmers to earn money.
6. Expensive and inappropriate farm equipment for small farmers
Science and technology is important. A project wherein it is agriculture-based would be
a great idea featuring different researches such as alternative and new machines,
prcoesses, etc. which may help for faster and better production of the country.
7. Climate change and natural disasters
This is one of the problems of our country though it is unexpected. Crops are damaged
due to strong typhoons considering our geography. A possible solution would be good
irrigation systems to prevent flood to damage crops.
Evidence:
Climate change and natural disasters are inevitable. The National Economic and
Development Authority (NEDA) is responsible for advising the Philippine President on
national development planning. This provides technical support in coordinating the
formulation of national plans and policies for agriculture, natural resources and agrarian
re-form sectors.
.
8. Inadequate technology transfer mechanisms
Our country does not invest that much in Technology considering it is important when it
comes to agriculture. In order to have progress, new mechanisms and processes are
important. Programs having exhibits on researches will be a great an promising idea
having Filipinos with great minds.
8 Paradigms to Level-up Agriculture in the Philippines (William Dar, Ph.D.)
1.Modernization of Agriculture
Modernization and the use of modern technology must also cover all crops, including
those with export potential in processed or value-added form like coffee, cacao,
cassava, tropical fruits, rubber, among others. Relative to that, there is a need to
diversify crop production in the Philippines as about 80 percent of the country‘s
farmlands are devoted to only three crops: rice, corn, and coconut.
Agripreneurship should also form part of the paradigm to modernize Philippine

agriculture, as farming and fisheries should be treated as business undertakings or
industries. Agripreneurship is also one of the components to industrialize Philippine
agriculture.
2. Industrilization of Agriculture
Agriculture must be treated as an industry, with the objective of industrializing the value
chain of every agricultural commodity. While productivity increase is a major objective, it
is equally important to produce more income by value adding, processing,
manufacturing, and developing markets for both raw and processed agricultural
products.
There is also a need to engage the private sector in investing and setting up of more
agri-based industries in the countryside and developing markets for agriculture
products.
Relative to the industrialization of Philippine agriculture is creating the framework for the
digitization of farming and agribusiness activities in the country where credit is made
available, affordable and accessible.
3.Promotion of Exports
The country should have a systematic and long-term strategy in developing and
promoting exports of raw and processed agricultural products. This would require
achieving economies of scale in on-farm production that would generate sustained
quantity and quality of export products.
The private sector‘s role will be essential in developing and promoting agricultural
products. At present, the Philippines only has two agricultural products that earn at least
$1 billion per year in export receipts: bananas; and coconut products (mostly in oil
form). Thailand has 13 types of farm exports earning over $1 billion each year,
Indonesia has five, and Vietnam has seven.
A convergence of efforts of the Department of Agriculture, and the Department of Trade

and Industry including other departments will be necessary.
4. Farm Consolidation
The government must promote and support farm consolidation arrangements to bring
about economies of scale, particularly for crops that require mechanization and massive
use of technology. These schemes include block farming, trust farming, contract
farming, and corporative farming that will make farming more efficient, where
technology is used, where cost of production is reduced, and farm productivity and
incomes are increased.
5. Infrastructure Development
Agricultural areas need infrastructure development and logistics to improve their

linkages to the urban/domestic and export markets. Thus, a ―Build, Build, Build‖
program is also a must for agriculture. There is also a need to engage the private sector
in a ―build and transfer‖ scheme to accelerate the development of national irrigation
systems.
6. Higher Budget and Investments for Agriculture
The government and the private sector with the strong and popular support from the
citizenry, must provide the necessary budget and investment to grow and develop
Philippine agriculture. The increased budget will help unlock the bigger potential
contribution of agriculture and agribusiness to the economy, including more employment
opportunities.
7. Legislative Support
The country‘s agriculture sector needs the help of both the Senate and the House of
Representatives, for policy and structural reforms that need to be legislated and
institutionalized.
8. Roadmap Development
The government, through the Department of Agriculture, should take the lead in
generating the ―big ideas‖ for the roadmap, and should solicit inputs from the private
sector and other stakeholders.The roadmap should also actively involve the private
sector, which may have more access to the export markets and funding for research for
development. A value-chain approach to level up Philippine agriculture, while making
sure the smallholders also earn their fair share of the fruits of production along the value
chain.
LAWS THAT SUPPORTS THE AGRICULTURE IN THE PHILIPPINES
REPUBLIC ACT NO. 10848
by the President on May 23, 2016
AN ACT FURTHER EXTENDING THE PERIOD OF IMPLEMENTATION OF THE

AGRICULTURAL COMPETITIVENESS ENHANCEMENT FUND (ACEF), AMENDING
FOR THE PURPOSE REPUBLIC ACT NO. 8178, AS AMENDED BY REPUBLIC ACT
NO. 9496, ENTITLED: ―AN ACT REPLACING QUANTITATIVE IMPORT
RESTRICTIONS ON AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTS, EXCEPT RICE, WITH TARIFFS,
CREATING THE AGRICULTURAL COMPETITIVENESS ENHANCEMENT FUND, AND
FOR OTHER PURPOSES"
Approved by the President on May 23, 2016
AN ACT DECLARING LARGE-SCALE AGRICULTURAL SMUGGLING AS ECONOMIC

SABOTAGE, PRESCRIBING PENALTIES THEREFOR AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES
AN ACT INSTITUTING THE PHILIPPINE HALAL EXPORT DEVELOPMENT AND

PROMOTION PROGRAM, CREATING FOR THE PURPOSE THE PHILIPPINE HALAL
EXPORT DEVELOPMENT AND PROMOTION BOARD, AND FOR OTHER
PURPOSES
AN ACT PROVIDING FOR THE DEVELOPMENT AND PROMOTION OF FARM

TOURISM IN THE PHILIPPINES
Approved by the President on March 27, 2015
AN ACT PROMOTING AND SUPPORTING THE COMPETITIVENESS OF THE

SUGARCANE INDUSTRY AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES
by the President on Febuary 27, 2015
AN ACT TO PREVENT, DETER AND ELIMINATE ILLEGAL, UNREPORTED AND

UNREGULATED FISHING, AMENDING REPUBLIC ACT NO. 8550, OTHERWISE
KNOWN AS ―THE PHILIPPINE FISHERIES CODE OF 1998,‖ AND FOR OTHER
PURPOSES
Approved by the President on May 13, 2010 Origin: Senate (SB01651 / HB06882) 14th
Congress
AN ACT CREATING THE PHILIPPINE RUBBER RESEARCH INSTITUTE TO

DEVELOP THE PHILIPPINE RUBBER INDUSTRY AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES
Approved by President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo on April 06, 2010 Origin: 14th

Congress (Senate: SB03264 / House: HB07066)
AN ACT PROVIDING FOR THE DEVELOPMENT AND PROMOTION OF ORGANIC

AGRICULTURE IN THE PHILIPPINES AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES
Approved by the President on February 23, 2010 Origin: Senate (SB03431 / HB06095)
14th Congress
AN ACT PROVIDING FOR AN AGRICULTURE AND AGRARIAN REFORM CREDIT

AND FINANCING SYSTEM THROUGH BANKING INSTITUTIONS
Approved by the President on August 07, 2009 Origin: Senate (SB02666 / HB04077)
14th Congress
AN ACT STRENGTHENING THE COMPREHENSIVE AGRARIAN REFORM

PROGRAM (CARP), EXTENDING THE ACQUISITION AND DISTRIBUTION OF ALL
AGRICULTURAL LANDS, INSTITUTING NECESSARY REFORMS, AMENDING FOR
THE PURPOSE CERTAIN PROVISIONS OF REPUBLIC ACT NO. 6657, OTHERWISE
KNOWN AS THE COMPREHENSIVE AGRARIAN REFORM LAW OF 1988, AS
AMENDED, AND APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREFOR
Approved by the President on March 08, 2007 Origin: House (HB04067 / SB02522)
13th Congress
AN ACT DEFINING HANDLINE FISHING, PROVIDING EFFECTIVE REGULATIONS

THEREFOR AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES
Approved by the President on May 12, 2004 Origin: Senate (SB02691 / HB06587) 12th
Congress
AN ACT STRENGTHENING THE MEAT INSPECTION SYSTEM IN THE COUNTRY,
ORDAINING FOR THIS PURPOSE A "MEAT INSPECTION CODE OF THE
PHILIPPINES" AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES
Approved by President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo on March 30, 2004 Origin: 12th

Congress (Senate: SB02677 / House: HB05817)
AN ACT TO STRENGHTEN AGRICULTURE AND FISHERIES MODERNIZATION IN

THE PHILIPPINES BY EXTENDING THE EFFECTIVITY OF TAX INCENTIVES AND
ITS MANDATED FUNDING SUPPORT, AMENDING FOR THIS PURPOSE SECTIONS
109 AND 112 OF REPUBLIC ACT NO. 8435
Approved by the President on July 19, 2000 Origin: Senate (SB02033 / HB07613) 11th
Congress
AN ACT PROTECTING LOCAL INDUSTRIES BY PROVIDING SAFEGUARD

MEASURES TO BE UNDERTAKEN IN RESPONSE TO INCREASED IMPORTS AND
PROVIDING PENALTIES FOR VIOLATION THEREOF
10th Congress
AN ACT PROVIDING FOR THE DEVELOPMENT, MANAGEMENT AND

CONSERVATION OF THE FISHERIES AND AQUATIC RESOURCES, INTEGRATING
ALL LAWS PERTINENT THERETO, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES
10th Congress
AN ACT STRENGTHENING FURTHER THE COMPREHENSIVE AGRARIAN

REFORM PROGRAM (CARP), BY PROVIDING AUGMENTATION FUND THEREFOR,
AMENDING FOR THE PURPOSE SECTION 63 OF REPUBLIC ACT NO. 6657,
OTHERWISE KNOWN AS "THE CARP LAW OF 1988"
10th Congress
AN ACT MERGING THE PHILIPPINE COTTON CORPORATION AND THE COTTON

RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT INSTITUTE INTO A COTTON DEVELOPMENT
ADMINISTRATION, VESTING IT WITH REGULATORY POWERS AND
APPROPRIATING FUNDS FOR THE PURPOSE
Approved by President Fidel V. Ramos on December 22, 1997 Origin: 10th Congress
(Senate: SB02245 / House: HB00002)
AN ACT PRESCRIBING URGENT RELATED MEASURES TO MODERNIZE THE
AGRICULTURE AND FISHERIES SECTORS OF THE COUNTRY IN ORDER TO
ENHANCE THEIR PROFITABILITY, AND PREPARE SAID SECTORS FOR THE
CHALLENGES OF GLOBALIZATION THROUGH AN ADEQUATE, FOCUSED AND
RATIONAL DELIVERY OF NECESSARY SUPPORT SERVICES, APPROPRIATING
FUNDS THEREFOR AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES
Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund
Republic Act No. 11203 otherwise known as the ―Rice Tariffication Law‖ was
promulgated to ensure food security and to make the country‘s agriculture sector viable,
efficient and globally competitive. The law created the Rice Competitiveness
Enhancement Fund (RCEF) or Rice Fund to improve rice farmers‘ competitiveness
and income amidst liberalization of the Philippine rice trade policy that lifted quantitative
restrictions on rice imports and replaced it with tariffs, among others. RCEF has a
Php10 billion annual appropriation for the next six years, to be allocated and disbursed
as follows:
a. Rice Farm Machinery and Equipment (50%) – The Mechanization Program

Lead Implementing Agency: Philippine Center for Postharvest Development and
Mechanization (PhilMech)
The program aims to raise rice farmers‘ productivity, profitability and global
competitiveness through strengthened access and use of appropriate production and
postproduction mechanization technologies, which specifically aims to:
– Make accessible to rice farmers the appropriate rice production and postharvest
machinery and equipment through to the farmer cooperatives, associations (FCAs).
– Promote among Filipino rice farmers the use of efficient and cost reducing rice
mechanization interventions.
– Strengthen local agricultural machinery manufacturing industry through aggressive
technology development, fabrication and manufacturing.
b. Rice Seed Development, Propagation, and Promotion (30%) – The Seed

Program
Lead Implementing Agency: Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice)
The program aims to increase the adoption of certified inbred seeds and integrated crop
management through the following projects:
– Promoting and distributing certified seeds of inbred rice varieties
– Mobilizing and strengthening local seed production
– Supporting variety development
c. Expanded Rice Credit Assistance (10%) – The Credit Program

This component aims to make direct lending program available in the form of a credit
facility with minimal interest rates and minimum collateral requirements to rice farmers
and cooperatives, to be managed equally by the Land Bank of the Philippines (LBP)
and the Development Bank of the Philippines (DBP).
For this, Land Bank will lend up to PHP 500 million annually for the next six years to rice
farmers registered in the RSBSA and to DA-accredited cooperatives. For on-lending
cooperatives, an interest rate of 0% per annum shall be provided as long as effective
pass-on rate to end borrowers is not higher than 6% per annum.
d. Rice Extension Services (10%) – The Extension Services Program
Lead Implementing Agency: Agricultural Training Institute (ATI)
Partner Agencies: PhilMech, PhilRice, and Technical Education and Skills
Development Authority (TESDA)
This intends to enhance the capabilities of the Rice Fund beneficiaries on modernized
inbred rice and seed production and other relevant skills for improved competitiveness
and income, with the following projects:
– Design and Delivery of Training Programs, Enterprise Development Assistance and
Communication Support Services
– Development of Farm Schools
– Implementation of a Training Scholarship Scheme
References
Ralf Rivas (2020). [Retrieved Online] . https://www.rappler.com/business/249918-
philippine-agriculture-misses- growth-target-2019
CNN (2020). [Retrieved Online] . https://cnnphilippines.com/news/2020/1/10/duterte-

rice-tariff-farmers.html
Tobias, A. (2019). [Retrieved Online] .

http://ap.fftc.agnet.org/ap_db.php?id=960&print=1
CNNPhilippines(2020). [Retrieved Online]

.https://agriculture.einnews.com/article/508163744?lcf=aaSLHIzDrqs
2gevBNxFi0N4MHE9KU0ppgDKlnxFSdG7NHmOSFb5Z83tqgk9q-Ra4
CNN Philippines (2020). [Retrieved Online] .

https://cnnphilippines.com/news/2020/2/7/DA-live-animals-shipment- ban-
African-swine-fever.html
CNN Philippines(2020). [Retrieved Online]

.https://cnnphilippines.com/news/2020/1/17/Taal-Volcano-eruption- agriculture-
damage-3-billion.html
Pañgulayan (2019). [Retrieved Online] .https://opinion.inquirer.net/124596/agrarian-

reform-in-the-duterte- administration
Department of Agriculture (2020). [Retrieved Online] .http://www.da.gov.ph/rice-

competitiveness- enhancement-fund/
WilliamDar (2020) [Retrieved Online]

.http://www.da.gov.ph/?fbclid=IwAR1L3XM6tocE21HSpmmEgZMfb3gTg_IP_
XruErX3BtX5VC9yX5c2rGj3pcE
De Guzman (2018) [Retrieved Online]

https://www.philstar.com/opinion/2018/06/18/1825542/agriculture- dying-
philippines
DepartmentofFinance (2019) [Retrieved Online]

.https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/lifestyle/food/720331/the-rice-tariffication-
law-and-how-it-affects-you/story/
TheMendelianEconomist (2017) [Retrieved Online] .

https://themendelianeconomists.wordpress.com/2017/02/13/8-problems- of-the-
philippine-agricultural-sector/
PUBLIC HEALTH
Laws related to Public
REPUBLIC ACT No. 6111
AN ACT ESTABLISHING THE PHILIPPINE MEDICAL CARE PLAN AND CREATING THE
PHILIPPINE MEDICAL CARE COMMISSION, PRESCRIBING ITS DUTIES, POWERS AND
FUNCTIONS, AND APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREFOR.
Section 1. Short Title. This Act shall be known as the "Philippine Medical Care Act of 1969."
Section 2. Declaration of Policy. It is hereby declared to be the policy of the Republic of the
Philippines to gradually provide total medical service for our people by adopting and
implementing a comprehensive and coordinated medical care program based on accepted
concepts of health care, namely:
(a) There shall be total coverage of medical services according to the needs of patients;
(b) There shall be coordination and cooperation in the use of all medical facilities of both
the government and the private sector; and
(c) The freedom of choice of physicians and hospitals and the family doctor-patient
relationship shall be preserved.
Section 3. Purposes and Objectives. The main purposes and objectives of this Act are:
(a) Extension of medical care to all residents in an evolutionary way within our economic
means and capability as a nation;
(b) Providing the people of the country a practical means of helping themselves pay for
adequate medical care; and
(c) To establish a Medical Care Commission.
Section 4. Philippine Medical Care Commission.To carry out the above purposes and
objectives, the Philippine Medical Care Commission, hereinafter referred to as the
"Commission", is hereby created to be composed of nine (9) members, namely: (1) the
Chairman; (2) the Administrator of the Commission as Vice-Chairman; (3) The Administrator of
the Social Security System; (4) The General Manager of the Government Service Insurance
System; (5) The President or the duly designated representative of the Philippine Medical
Association; (6) The President or the duly designated representative of the Philippine Hospital
Association; (7) The Secretary of Health or the Director of Medical Services if designated by the
former; and (8) two members, one of whom shall preferably be a duly registered physician with
at least ten years private practice, representing the private sector.
The Chairman, the Administrator and the two members from the private sector shall be
appointed by the President of the Philippines with the consent of the Commission on
Appointments to serve for a term of six (6) years.
Section 5. Functions, Powers and Duties of the Commission. The Commission shall have the
following functions and powers:
(a) To formulate policies, administer and implement the Medical Care Plan, hereinafter
provided;
(b) To organize its offices, fix the compensation of, and appoint such personnel as may
be deemed necessary in accordance with Civil Service rules and
regulations: Provided, That the plantilla of the Commission shall be included in the
Appropriations Act for the next fiscal year, and yearly thereafter: Provided, further, That
the respective Community Health funds of the provinces, cities and municipalities shall
not be used for payment of salaries of the employees of the Commission;
(c) To establish the provincial, city and municipal Medical Care Councils;
(d) To authorize actuarial studies for the purpose of determining and fixing, from time to
time, the contributions necessary and the extent and scope of benefits of the
beneficiaries of the Plan as its resources may permit in order to ensure adequate
financing and disbursement of funds to all participants of the Plan;
(e) To set up the requisites and procedures for the registration of beneficiaries under this
Act;
(f) To devise control measures to prevent abuses of the Plan;
(g) To provide from its funds the necessary amount for the Provincial Medical Care
Council, the City Medical Care Council, and the Municipal Medical Care Council to carry
out their respective functions under the Plan;
(h) To be empowered to withhold, withdraw or suspend medical care benefits from any
one who refuses to pay his contribution as provided herein except in emergency cases;
(i) To promulgate such supplementary rules and regulations as may be necessary to

implement the provisions of this Act;
(j) To submit to the President, and to each House of Congress of the Republic of the
Philippines annually within the first ten days of each regular session, a report covering its
activities in the administration and enforcement of this Act during the preceding fiscal
year; and
(k) Generally to exercise all powers necessary to attain the purposes and objectives for
which the Commission is organized.
Section 6. Board Meetings. Regular meetings of the Commission shall be held once a week.
Special meetings not to exceed four sessions a month may be held at the discretion of the
Chairman or at the written request of the majority of the members of the Commission. The
presence of five members of the Commission shall constitute a quorum. Members of the
Commission who are government officials shall serve without additional compensation, but may
be allowed traveling and other necessary expenses. Members who are not government officials
shall receive a per diem of fifty pesos for each session actually attended by them. The
Commission shall fix the compensation of, and appoint its secretary.
Section 7. The Chairman of the Commission. The Chairman shall be a reputable member of the
medical profession with at least twelve years of experience in medical practice and with proven
executive ability in business or medical undertakings. He shall hold office on a full time basis
and shall receive a compensation of at least thirty thousand pesos per annum. He shall be
entitled to commutable traveling and representation expenses not to exceed six thousand pesos
per annum. He shall preside at all meetings of the Commission and shall exercise such other
duties as will achieve the purposes and objectives of this Act.
Section 8. Administrator of the Commission. The Commission shall have under its general
supervision an Administrator, who shall serve as its Chief Executive Officer. He shall hold office
on a full-time basis for a term of six (6) years and may not be removed except for cause. The
Administrator shall be a duly registered physician with at least ten years experience in practice,
who has proven executive ability and experience in business or medical undertakings. He shall
be appointed by the President of the Philippines with the consent of the Commission on
Appointments and shall receive a minimum compensation of P24,000.00 per annum and such
other privileges as may be fixed by the Commission. All travel and other representation
expenses shall not be more than six thousand pesos per annum. No other allowances and/or
representation expenses under any denomination shall be allowed.
Section 9. The Philippine Medical Care Plan. The Philippine Medical Care plan shall consist of
two basic programs, namely:
(a) Program I For the members of the SSS and GSIS; and
(b) Program II For those not covered in program I.
Beneficiaries under Program I shall be entitled to medical care benefits specifically provided for
in subsequent sections of this Act.
The Commission shall, within three years after the effectivity of this Act, formulate an integrated
program for the proper implementation of program II as envisioned in this Act. Likewise, it shall,
within the same period, recommend to Congress who shall be entitled to Medical Care benefits
under Program II and the amount of contributions they shall make.
Other Laws for Public Health
REPUBLIC ACT – an act passed by the Congress of the Philippines, while the form of
government is Republican government.
Republic Act 349 – Legalizes the use of human organs for surgical, medical and scientific
purposes.
Republic Act 1054 – Requires the owner, lessee or operator of any commercial, industrial or
agricultural establishment to furnish free emergency, medical and dental assistance to his
employees and laborers.
Republic Act 1080 – Civil Service Eligibility
Republic Act 1082 – Rural Health Unit Act
Republic Act 1136 – Act recognizing the Division of Tuberculosis in the DOH
Republic Act 1612 – Privilege Tax/Professional tax/omnibus tax should be paid January 31 of
each
year
Republic Act 1891 – Act strengthening Health and Dental services in the rural areas
Republic Act 2382 – Philippine Medical Act which regulates the practice of medicines in the
Philippines
Republic Act 2644 – Philippine Midwifery Act
Republic Act 3573 – Law on reporting of Communicable Diseases
Republic Act 4073 – Liberalized treatment of Leprosy
Republic Act 4226 – Hospital Licensure Act requires all hospital to be licensed before it can
operative
Republic Act 5181 – Act prescribing permanent residence and reciprocity as qualifications for
any
examination or registration for the practice of any profession in the Philippines
Republic Act 5821 – The Pharmacy Act
Republic Act 5901 – 40 hours work for hospital workers
Republic Act 6111 – Medicare Act
Republic Act 6365 – Established a National Policy on Population and created the Commission
on
population
Republic Act 6425 – Dangerous Drug Act of 1992
Republic Act 6511 – Act to standardize the examination and registration fees charged by the
National Boards, and for other purposes.
Republic Act 6675 – Generics Act of 1988
Republic Act 6713 – Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees
Republic Act 6725 – Act strengthening the prohibition on discrimination against women with
respect to terms and condition of employment
Republic Act 6727 – Wage Rationalization Act
Republic Act 6758 – Standardized the salaries
Republic Act 6809 – Majority age is 18 years old
Republic Act 6972 – Day care center in every Barangay
Republic Act 7160 – Local Government Code
Republic Act 7164 – Philippine Nursing Act of 1991
Republic Act 7170 – Law that govern organ donation
Republic Act 7192 – Women in development nation building
Republic Act 7277 – Magna Carta of Disabled Persons
Republic Act 7305 – The Magna Carta of public Health Workers
Republic Act 7392 – Philippine Midwifery Act of 1992
Republic Act 7432 – Senior Citizen Act
Republic Act 7600 – Rooming In and Breastfeeding Act of 1992
Republic Act 7610 – Special protection of children against abuse, exploitation and discrimination
act
Republic Act 7624 – Drug Education Law

Republic Act 7641 – New Retirement Law
Republic Act 7658 – An act prohibiting the employment of children below 15 years of age
Republic Act 7719 – National Blood Service Act of 1994
Republic Act 7875 – National Health Insurance Act of 1995
Republic Act 7876 – Senior Citizen Center of every Barangay
Republic Act 7877 – Anti-sexual harassment Act of 1995
Republic Act 7883 – Barangay Health workers Benefits and Incentives Act of 1992
Republic Act 8042 – Migrant Workers and Overseas Filipino Act of 1995
Republic Act 8172 – Asin Law
Republic Act 8187 – Paternity Leave Act of 1995
Republic Act 8203 – Special Law on Counterfeit Drugs
Republic Act 8282 – Social Security Law of 1997 (amended RA 1161)
Republic Act 8291 – Government Service Insurance System Act of 1997 (amended PD 1146)
Republic Act 8344 – Hospital Doctors to treat emergency cases referred for treatment
Republic Act 8423 – Philippine Institute of Traditional and Alternative Medicine
Republic Act 8424 – Personal tax Exemption
Republic Act 8749 – The Philippine Clean Air Act of 1999
Republic Act 8981 – PRC Modernization Act of 2000
Republic Act 9165 – Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act 2002
Republic Act 9173 – Philippine Nursing Act of 2002
Republic Act 9288 – Newborn Screening Act
PRESIDENTIAL DECREE – An order of the President. This power of the President which allows
him/her to act as legislators was exercised during the Marshall Law period.
Presidential Decree 46 – An act making it punishable for any public officials or employee,
whether
of the national or local government, to receive directly or indirectly any gifts or valuable things
Presidential Decree 48 – Limits benefits of paid maternity leave privileges to four children
Presidential Decree 69 – Limits the number of children to four (4) tax exemption purposes
Presidential Decree 79 – Population Commission
Presidential Decree 147 – Declares April and May as National Immunization Day
Presidential Decree 148 – Regulation on Woman and Child Labor Law
Presidential Decree 166 – Strengthened Family Planning program by promoting participation of
private sector in the formulation and implementation of program planning policies.
Presidential Decree 169 – Requiring Attending Physician and/or persons treating injuries
resulting
from any form of violence.
Presidential Decree 223 – Professional Regulation Commission
Presidential Decree 442 – Labor Code Promotes and protects employees self-organization and
collective bargaining rights. Provision for a 10% right differential pay for hospital workers.
Presidential Decree 491 – Nutrition Program
Presidential Decree 539 – Declaring last week of October every as Nurse‘s Week. October 17,
1958
Presidential Decree 541 – Allowing former Filipino professionals to practice their respective
professions in the Philippines so they can provide the latent and expertise urgently needed by
the
homeland
Presidential Decree 568 – Role of Public Health midwives has been expanded after the
implementation of the Restructed Health Care Delivery System (RHCDS)
Presidential Decree 603 – Child and Youth Welfare Act / Provision on Child Adoption
Presidential Decree 626 – Employee Compensation and State Insurance Fund. Provide benefits
to
person covered by SSS and GSIS for immediate injury, illness and disability.
Presidential Decree 651 – All births and deaths must be registered 30 days after delivery.
Presidential Decree 825 – Providing penalty for improper disposal garbage and other forms of
uncleanliness and for other purposes.
Presidential Decree 851 – 13th Month pay
Presidential Decree 856 – Code of Sanitation
Presidential Decree 965 – Requiring applicants for Marriage License to receive instruction on
family planning and responsible parenthood.
Presidential Decree 996 – Provides for compulsory basic immunization for children and infants
below 8 years of age.

Presidential Decree 1083 – Muslim Holidays
Presidential Decree 1359 – A law allowing applicants for Philippine citizenship to take Board
Examination pending their naturalization.
Presidential Decree 1519 – Gives medicare benefits to all government employees regardless of
status of appointment.
Presidential Decree 1636 – requires compulsory membership in the SSS and self-employed
Presidential Decree 4226 – Hospital Licensure Act
PROCLAMATION – an official declaration by the Chief Executive / Office of the President of the
Philippines on certain programs / projects / situation
Proclamation No.6 – UN‘s goal of Universal Child Immunization; involved NGO‘s in the
immunization program
Proclamation No. 118 – Professional regulation Week is June 16 to 22
Proclamation No. 499 – National AIDS Awareness Day
Proclamation No. 539 – Nurse‘s Week – Every third week of October
Proclamation No. 1275 – Declaring the third week of October every year as ―Midwifery Week‖
LETTER OF INSTRUCTION – An order issued by the President to serve as a guide to his/her
previous decree or order.
LOI 47 – Directs all school of medicine, nursing, midwifery and allied medical professions and
social work to prepare, plan and implement integration of family planning in their curriculum to
require their graduate to take the licensing examination.
LOI 949 – Act on health and health related activities must be integrated with other activities of
the
overall national development program. Primary Health Care (10-19-79)
LOI 1000 – Government agencies should be given preference to members of the accredited
professional organization when hiring
EXECUTIVE ORDER – an order issued by the executive branch of the government in order to
implement a constructional mandate or a statutory provision.
Executive Order 51 – The Milk Code
Executive Order 174 – National Drug Policy on Availability, Affordability, Safe, Effective and
Good Quality drugs to all

Executive Order 180 – Government Workers Collective Bargaining Rights Guidelines on the
right
to Organize of government employee.
Executive Order 203 – List of regular holidays and special holidays
Executive Order 209 – The Family Code (amended by RA 6809)
Executive Order 226 – Command responsibility
Executive Order 503 – Provides for the rules and regulations implementing the transfer of
personnel, assets, liabilities and records of national agencies whose functions are to be devoted
to
the local government units.
Executive Order 857 – Compulsory Dollar Remittance Law
Other Important Information
Administrative Order 114 – Revised/updated the roles and functions of the Municipal Health
Officers, Public Health Nurses and Rural Midwives
ILO Convention 149 – Provides the improvement of life and work conditions of nursing
personnel.
Articles related to Public Health
Coronavirus maps and charts: A visual guide to the outbreak
Coronavirus - a fast-moving infection originating in China - has spread to more than 110
countries and claimed more than 4,200 lives.
While the vast majority of cases are in China, the virus, which causes pneumonia-like
symptoms, is now spreading faster outside the country than within. Italy, Iran and South Korea
have the highest number of confirmed cases.
Here are maps and charts that will help you understand what is going on.
1. Cases outside China continue to grow
About 80,950 people in China have been infected with coronavirus since its emergence in the
city of Wuhan, Hubei province, in December.
But there have also been over 30,000 cases outside China, according to World Health
Organization (WHO) figures.
CASES OF CORONA VIRUS OUTSIDE CHINA
Infectious disease specialists at Imperial College London estimate about two thirds of cases
originating in mainland China remain undetected worldwide.
This could mean "multiple chains of as yet undetected human-to-human transmission"

internationally, they say.
As of 11 March Italy had the most cases outside of China, overtaking South Korea and Iran.
There have been almost 5,000 new cases recorded in Italy in the last four days.
Numbers across Europe have been increasing during the last week, jumping in Italy particularly.
In the UK, health officials are preparing for the country to enter the second phase of their
response, intended to "delay" the spread of the virus.
Prof Chris Whitty, the country's chief medical adviser, has said it is "highly likely" some people
now being infected in the UK have no connection to overseas cases and the virus could spread
in a "significant way".
3. Italy, South Korea and Iran are among the worst-affected countries
In Italy, emergency coronavirus measures, which include travel restrictions and a ban on public
gatherings, have been extended to the entire country.
Authorities have closed the country's schools, gyms, museums, nightclubs and other venues
and ordered people to stay home and seek permission for essential travel.
Several countries, including Algeria, Denmark, Romania and Spain, have reported infections
linked to Italy. Neighbouring Austria has banned people entering the country from Italy unless
they carry a medical certificate, in an attempt to stop coronavirus spreading.
A number of airlines, including British Airways, EasyJet and Ryanair, have cancelled Italy flights
until the start of April.
In South Korea, the biggest virus clusters have been linked to a religious group near the south-
eastern city of Daegu, which has a population of around 2.5m.
But, perhaps in a sign the country is getting on top of the outbreak, officials on Monday reported
the lowest number of new cases in two weeks.
"The slowing trend should continue," President Moon Jae-in said in a statement, but warned:
"We should not be complacent at all."
Many of the country's large events have been cancelled or postponed and the school holidays
have been extended by three weeks, pushing back the return to classes.
Iran has seen more than 8,000 cases of the virus - with most in the capital, Tehran, and the
region of Qom, where cases first emerged.
Schools have been shut and major cultural and sporting events suspended. Iranian authorities
have also temporarily released 70,000 prisoners in an attempt to contain the outbreak.
The country has been the source of dozens of cases in countries in the region, including India,
Afghanistan, Bahrain, Iraq, Kuwait, Oman and Pakistan.
As a result, many of Iran's neighbours have announced the temporary closure of their borders
with the country.
3. The virus has pandemic potential
The rise in the number of daily confirmed cases internationally has raised fears the outbreak
could become a pandemic - when an infectious disease spreads easily from person to person in
many parts of the world.
WHO head Dr Tedros Ghebreyesus has said the virus has "pandemic potential".
In response, countries around the world are ramping up measures to try to slow its spread.
Some governments have halted flights from virus-hit nations, locked down towns, urged people
to stay at home and suspended major sporting and social events.
A number of international conferences and sporting events have been cancelled, including Six
Nations rugby matches.
Strict border controls are in place in Japan, with arrivals from China and South Korea asked to
go into quarantine for two weeks, and three million visas have been cancelled. South Korea has
imposed similar restriction on Japanese tourists.
The US state of California has declared a state of emergency and in New York state a
"containment zone" is in force in New Rochelle to prevent the virus spreading.
The WHO, which declared the crisis a global health emergency on 30 January, has confirmed it
will not formally "declare" a pandemic for the new coronavirus, though the term may still be used
"colloquially".
International financial markets have fallen in recent days over fears that the outbreak could lead
to a worldwide economic downturn.
4. China still has by far the most cases
The number of overall coronavirus cases in China has been rising since January, but has been
levelling off in recent days.
The country still accounts for about 80,900 of the 118,000 global cases - and thousands more
Chinese citizens are under medical observation.
Government and regional officials have imposed tight restrictions in a bid to reduce infections,
including cancelling flights, closing schools and workplaces and ordering some cities to go into
lockdown.
The country is now tightening travel restrictions to try and prevent imported cases, so all
international arrivals in the capital Beijing will have to be quarantined for two weeks
The origins of the coronavirus have been linked to illegally traded wildlife at the seafood market
in Wuhan, capital of Hubei province, where the outbreak began. The exact source has not yet
been identified.
5. Daily infections and deaths in China have been comparatively low recently
New cases have remained low for a number of days, compared with numbers seen in early-mid
February, according to official figures.
Cases have been in the hundreds rather than the thousands for more than two weeks, following
a spike in mid-February.
Officials in Hubei province have come under fire for their handling of the virus outbreak,
including causing confusion by changing the criteria used to count the number of cases.
Changes to the way patients were diagnosed half way through February caused a brief spike
confirmed cases, but this change was later reversed, causing a dip.
The number of deaths announced each day by the Chinese authorities has also been falling.
Like the daily confirmed cases, death figures saw a spike caused by the temporary change in
diagnosis criteria.
Medical researchers and scientists say it is too early to accurately predict how the virus will
spread or calculate the death rate, partly due to mild cases remaining untested and unrecorded
and a time lag of reporting infections.
As there is not yet a specific anti-viral treatment for coronavirus, people with the infection are
currently being treated for their symptoms.
UHC Act in the Philippines: a new dawn for health care
14 March 2019
It is a time for celebration in the Philippines. President Rodrigo Block quote_UHC law story-
01Duterte has just signed a Universal Health Care (UHC) Bill into law (Republic Act No. 11223)
that automatically enrolls all Filipino citizens in the National Health Insurance Program and
prescribes complementary reforms in the health system.
This gives citizens access to the full continuum of health services they need, while protecting
them from enduring financial hardship as a result.
UHC is a political choice
In the Philippines, like elsewhere, universal health coverage is foremost a political choice. The
UHC Act embodies this choice, and was carried by a broad coalition of parliamentarians across
the political spectrum.
This is how the Senators talked about UHC. The first two quotes demonstrate why UHC is
necessary to meet the challenges that citizens face when in need of health care.
Senator Ejercito
Chair of the Health Committee
―During our visits to hospitals in different provinces, my own eyes have seen the deplorable
state of our countrymen – in hot and cramped wards, enduring the lack of government support.
It is sad that our fellow citizens who, rather than be healed, are worried about being infected
with the illness of another patient.‖
Senator Angara
Chair of the Ways and Means Committee
―The majority of Filipinos only consult a doctor when their illnesses are already at their worst
because of the lack of government support to the health department. According to our
Department of Health, up to 54% of the country‘s healthcare spending in 2016 came from out-
of-pocket expenses. That means Filipino families still account for the lion‘s share, they still carry
the biggest burden when their loved ones seek treatment for whatever sickness they have. That
weight should not be theirs to carry alone. In fact, they should not have to carry that weight at
all.‖
And here is what the Government hopes will change as a result of the Act.
Senator Binay
Co-author of the Bill
―We believe Filipino families must be afforded a safety net in times of dire need and this is why I
am proud to cosponsor the Universal Health Care Bill. One of the main provisions in the bill is
every Filipino‘s automatic inclusion into the National Heath Insurance Program. Through this
provision, we seek to protect people from the financial burden of paying out of their own
pockets. It reduces the risk of people being pushed into poverty because it will help cushion the
impact of having to use the family‘s savings or of borrowing money to pay for health care
services.‖
Senator Villanueva
Co-author of the Bill

―Senate Bill No 1896 will pave the way for all Filipinos‘ inclusion in our National Health
Insurance Program, either as direct or indirect contributory members. This means that all
Filipinos can use the promotive, preventive, curative, rehabilitative and palliative health services
they need, of sufficient quality to be effective, while also ensuring that the use of these services
does not expose them to financial hardship.
Our goal is to achieve full 100 percent coverage in the most expedient way possible, expand our
health benefit package, and bring more doctors to remote communities.‖
Conferees of the House of Representatives and the Senate of the Philippines headed by
Representative Angelina Tan and Senator Joseph Victor Ejercito, respectively (seated, second
and third from left) give the ―thumbs up‖ sign together with officials and staff of the Department
of Health, Philippine Health Insurance Corporation, Senate, House, and WHO on 27 November
2018 after reconciling House Bill 5784 and Senate Bill 1896, the precursors of the Universal
Health Care Act. Photo: Senate of the Philippines
Why now?
Parliamentarians and health stakeholders have made concerted efforts to pass a UHC bill for
the past two years, but in reality, the Philippines has experienced a 50-year process of health
reform, under different names. The UHC Act is the culmination of decades of progress, and two
years of dedicated political and technical work.
It is the first UHC Act of its type in the Western Pacific region; this is particularly remarkable
considering the strong presence of the private sector in the Filipino health system existing in
parallel with a fragmented and devolved government health service. The Act prescribes system
reforms in accordance with the multiple financing and service delivery mechanisms at work in
the Philippines.
Developing and refining the bill
WHO‘s global drive for UHC came at an opportune time to advocate and inform the consultation
and drafting process of the Bill in the Senate during the second half of 2017. By that time the Bill
had already passed the House of Representatives. In order to get it passed through the upper
house, the Bill needed technical refinement to ensure that it was comprehensive, practical and
feasible, and would eventually achieve universal health coverage.
WHO Philippines, in close liaison with the WHO Regional Office for the Western Pacific, gently
steered the process in the areas of people-centred integrated service delivery and health
financing, drawing on experiences from other countries and regions with positive UHC
experiences. This included the UK‘s National Health Service model, China‘s model of devolved
health service provision and PAHO‘s expertise in service delivery networks in US-influenced
health systems.
From February 2018, WHO contributed to a series of public hearings involving a wide range of
stakeholders, including citizens and civil society organizations. Four public hearings took place
across the country in Cebu, Davao, Legazpi, and Lingayen. WHO participated throughout in the
sometimes heated and political debates as a neutral advisor by providing a dose of practical
realism to the proceedings. This helped Parliamentarians focus on meaningful and sustainable
solutions.
Hearing Proper
Conferees of the House of Representatives and the Senate of the Philippines headed by
Senator Joseph Victor Ejercito (foreground) and Representative Angelina Tan (background,
seated) conduct public hearings to reconcile House Bill 5784 and Senate Bill 1896, the
precursors of the Universal Health Care Act.
In July and August 2018, the Senate started convening technical working groups to discuss the
content of the bill. Senators and other invited stakeholders, such as the private sector, civil
society and WHO, read through the entire bill lineby-line and offered feedback from a diverse
range of perspectives. WHO country, regional and headquarters representatives shared
detailed knowledge about the coordination of service delivery, financial flows and health
systems governance, acting as a gentle guide in the background. WHO also produced a formal
position paper which proved instrumental in guiding the Bill‘s redrafting process
In October 2018, the bicameral hearings took place to hammer out the final version of the Bill.
Here, conferees from the Senate and the House of Representatives sat together and discussed
the bill, including some of the controversial points such as financing and local government
autonomy. Flurries of emails and on-the-spot telephone conversations to key stakeholders in
the provinces added a touch of drama but were essential to gain approval for implementation;
without the support of local government stakeholders, the Bill could not be put into practice.
Crunching the Numbers
From left to right: Senate President Pro-tempore Ralph Recto, Secretary of Health Francisco
Duque III, Acting President and CEO of the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth)
Dr Roy Ferrer, and Senator Joseph Victor Ejercito listen to projections of financial impact of the
draft UHC bill from Acting Senior Vice President for Actuarial Services of PhilHealth (center).
Photo: WHO/A. Domingo
WHO‘s role throughout was to be the steady voice which, stepping back from the political
deliberations, provided objective technical information on which policy decisions should be
based. One example of this was the issue of local government autonomy. Since 1991,
devolution and management gaps have been stated as a reason for fragmented health services.
The UHC Act contains provisions that consolidate local health systems and provide for a shared
bank account. This was initially controversial, as local government units were skeptical about its
potential effectiveness. WHO was able to share the experience of China, with its similar scale
and devolved systems, to demonstrate that it was indeed possible and desirable to implement
these reforms. This support was instrumental to the Government, in order to pass such
provisions.
The role of communication to wider audiences and the Senate also played a major role. Many
stakeholders, including the general public, followed WHO‘s social media accounts and asked
critical questions. When some stakeholders expressed negativity about the whole process,
WHO was able to provide reassurance by providing examples of particular meetings and
moments of real progress. In addition, the focus of World Health Day in 2018 was UHC, and
although it took place in April, the theme carried weight throughout the entire year and
powerfully supported the discussions proceeding the passing of the Bill.
Side Meeting
Representatives Ron Salo and Angelina Tan of the House of Representatives (third and fourth
from left) discuss provisions of the Universal Health Care bill with the secretariat. WHO
Consultant Dr Albert Domingo (right) provided evidence-based technical advice upon request.
Photo: WHO
Implementing the Act
Senator Recto‘s speech at the Senate speaks volumes about the need to take UHC as a
systematic approach. Here, the challenges of implementation are evident.
"We may give every Filipino a PhilHealth card, but it is useless if there is no facility they can
present that card to for treatment," said Senator Recto.
"We may erect hospitals with gleaming glass and steel, but if there are no doctors and other
health professionals who will staff and run them, then what we have built are white elephants.
"We have many modern curative facilities, but when the sick are continuously dumped on them
because we have neglected the promotive and the preventative aspects of medicine, then we
have failed to address the roots.
"We may have a cadre of health professionals scattered nationwide, but if drugs are expensive,
then the road to wellness is blocked.
"We may have a built a network of hospitals but if they are not constantly infused with funds,
then they cannot function fully due to budgetary anaemia.
"What is my point? Block quote_UHC law story 2-02The challenges are interrelated, linked
together in one body politic. So the cure must not be compartmentalized, but comprehensive.
So, as I have said, this bill is a tapestry of solutions, composed of many threads."
From a technical perspective, the major reforms of the Act will consolidate existing yet
fragmented financial flows, increase the fiscal space for benefit delivery, improve the
governance and performance of devolved local health systems and institutionalize support
mechanisms such as health technology assessment and health promotion. In the first half of
2019, the Department of Health and the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation will produce
the operational guidelines on how to carry out the provisions of the Act; and WHO will contribute
what it can, where appropriate.
From the population‘s perspective, when implemented effectively, the Act will mean all Filipinos
get the health care they need, when they need it, without suffering financial hardship as a result.
Although there is much work to be done to implement the UHC Act, it takes a critical step
towards achieving health for all in the Philippines. It is a new dawn for health care and real
progress towards achieving UHC.
Universal Health Care Law and what it means to PH development
For 10 years now, Christine Porciuncula, an entrepreneur from Valenzuela City, has been
battling end-stage renal disease. While she says the mental stress stemming from her condition
is challenging enough, getting by with her erratic income is another story.
Much of her budget is used to cover medical expenses. Money easily goes down the drain with
her twice-a-week dialysis on top of the regular medical checkups and other medications.
With costs piling up, Porciuncula says she seeks the help of the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes
Office (PCSO) and the local government of Valenzuela. More often than not, she would find
herself in a long queue of aid seekers patiently waiting to be called. Such is commonplace in
the Philippines, where more than half of the total health spending comes from a household‘s
out-of-pocket payments (OOP) based on the 2017 Philippine National Health Accounts.
A trip to the hospital always comes with costs. Based on the 2017 National Demographic and
Health Survey, the average cost of treatment for confined individuals is PHP21,400. State-run
Philippine Health Insurance Corporation or PhilHealth shoulders only less than half of this. This
does not include the cost of medicines or services from external pharmacies and laboratories
that amounts to an average of PhP5,237.
But with the recent signing of the Universal Health Care (UHC) Law in February, Porciuncula is
among those pinning their hopes on its effective implementation.
―Hopefully, with this, I no longer have to fall in line to ask for financial help and worry where to
get the money for my treatment,‖ Porciuncula said in an interview.
The landmark law expands access to health services by automatically enrolling all Filipinos in
PhilHealth‘s National Health Insurance Program (NHIP). It seeks to ensure that all Filipino
citizens have access to a comprehensive set of health services without financial hardship
Big leap
For the National Economic and Development Authority, which led the crafting of the Philippine
Development Plan (PDP) 2017-2022, the signing of the law is a big leap towards reforming the
country‘s health care system.
―Our medium-term plan recognizes human development not just as a means to economic
development but as an end in itself. That is why the signing of the UHC law is a victory scored
for the health sector. We are glad that we have reached this milestone halfway into the term of
the Duterte administration,‖ Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Ernesto M. Pernia said.
The law aims to address a number of recurring problems in the health system. First and
foremost, it assures 100 percent population coverage of PhilHealth—from the 98 percent
population coverage in 2018 based on the same year‘s Socioeconomic Report by NEDA.
According to the law, PhilHealth members will be classified into two groups: contributory
(premium contributors from payroll) and non-contributory (fully subsidized from tax collections).
The law also addresses the fragmented and overlapping roles and responsibilities of various
health agencies. For people like Porciuncula, this means that they will no longer have to hop
from one charitable institution to another. For instance, the Department of Health (DOH) and
local government units (LGU) will be responsible for population-based interventions and health
services (e.g., immunization programs and health promotion programs) while PhilHealth will be
responsible for financing individual-based health services.
In addition, the new law is expected to significantly reduce the high OOP expenditure for health.
In 2017, about 54.5 percent of total health payment came from Filipinos‘ own pocket, with
medicines and drugs as the main contributors. Lack of Philhealth coverage of medicines for
outpatients and the high cost of drugs and medicines in the country push the OOP expenditure
up.
―High out-of-pocket medical expenses push more people into poverty. When households spend
more on hospital bills and medical treatments, they are forced to spend less on other basic
necessities like food, housing, and education,‖ Pernia said.
The accompanying results matrix of the PDP 2017-2022 targets out-of-pocket-medical

expenses to go down to less than 50 percent of the total health spending by 2022.
Funding
According to the DOH, the implementation of the UHC law for its first year needs P257 billion.
This will be sourced from sin tax collections and partly from income generated by the Philippine
Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR) and PCSO in view of improving benefit
packages. This is apart from providing immediate eligibility and access to health services,
including preventive, promotive, curative, rehabilitative, and palliative care, as well as out-
patient drugs.
Pernia said the successful implementation of the sin tax reform law has been a boost to
programs and projects of the DOH. Based on the agency‘s budget brochures, DOH‘s budget,
including its attached agencies and corporations, increased by 13 percent from PHP151 billion
in 2017 to PHP171 billion in 2018. This was due to PHP113-billion six tax revenues, of which
PHP48 billion was allocated to PhilHealth‘s premium subsidy for the indigent, senior citizens,
and sponsored members.
The law also provides for a special health fund that will be created and managed by province-
wide or city-wide health systems. All resources intended for health services will be pooled to
finance population-based and individual-based health services. Such will also be used to cover
operating costs, capital investments, and remuneration and incentives for all health workers.
The Department of Health, in consultation with the Department of Budget and Management and
the local government units, is mandated to come up with guidelines for the use of the special
health fund.
All income from Philhealth payments will go to the special health fund, which will be allocated by
LGUs exclusively for the improvement of local health systems.
The crafting of the implementing rules and regulations, which will operationalize provisions in
the law, such as budget allocations, health financing, improvements in the benefit packages,
among others, is still ongoing. The law provides for a transition period (i.e., Section 41) for
LGUs and concerned government agencies for the full implementation of the law.
Shortage
A 29-year-old nurse, Aira Cezar says, ―We work for at least eight hours per day, but some of us
extend for another eight hours if there‘s understaffing within the unit. We always experience
understaffing due to the exodus of nurses working abroad for better pay.‖ Cezar has been
working for six years in a public hospital‘s emergency room in Aklan.
The poor state of the population of health professionals in the country is another concern the
UHC law intends to address. With the Philippines being a major exporter of health-care
professionals, it constantly grapples with a shortage of health providers, inevitably leading to
poor quality of healthcare and high-stress levels among health professionals.
The number of health workers in the country is not keeping up with the country‘s population
growth. According to the DOH, the nationwide ratio of human resource for health, which
includes doctors, nurses, and midwives, is at 19.70 per 10,000 population. This is still below the
23 per 10,000 population critical threshold recommended by the World Health Organization
(WHO).
Member countries of WHO, however, may opt to follow or not such recommendations. The
Philippines‘ DOH, for example, follows ratios published in the National Objectives for Health
2017-2022.[1]
The country also suffers from a disparity in the distribution of health workers in the country. For
2018, the National Capital Region and the Cordillera Administrative Region had the most
number of health workers at 23.06 and 28.17 per 10,000 population while the Autonomous
Region of Muslim Mindanao is a stark contrast at 6.86 per 10,000 population, according to DOH
records.
For this reason, the UHC law ensures the development of the health system‘s human resources
through the formulation and implementation of the National Health Human Resource Master
Plan. It also ensures that all health professionals have permanent employment and competitive
salaries.
Similarly, the law provides for the creation of a national health workforce support system that will
help local public health systems in addressing human resource needs while prioritizing
deployment in the Geographically Isolated and Disadvantaged Areas (GIDAs).
―I have nothing against the UHC law. The idea is good as every Filipino will receive affordable
and quality health benefits. But the law is useless unless the government starts to recognize the
value of those working in the clinical sector,‖ Cezar said.
The law also tasks the Commission on Higher Education (CHED), Technical Education and
Skills Development Authority (TESDA), Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) and the
DOH to develop existing and new allied and health-related degrees and training programs, and
to regulate the number of its enrollees depending on the needs of the population. The law
provides scholarship grants for graduate and undergraduate allied and health-related programs.
All professional health graduates of government-funded scholarships will be required by law to

render at least three years of return service with compensation under the supervision of the
DOH. Incentives will be given to those who will render an additional two years of return service.
More reforms
Secretary Pernia said more reforms should be done to ensure the smooth implementation of the
UHC law.
While the law already provides the mechanisms to improve health care in the Philippines, he
said that actual rollout by all those concerned is crucial, starting with agency budgets.
―The DOH, for one, must efficiently utilize its budget to develop and strengthen health
infrastructure and human resources,‖ Pernia said noting that the agency‘s budget utilization rate
was only 88 percent in 2017, according to the 2018 budget brochure of DOH.
Also, the NEDA official said the function of LGUs to provide health services, which was
devolved through the Local Government Code of 1991, has not reflected in their health
spending. The health spending of LGUs comprised only 20 percent of overall government
spending on health in 2017, according to the Philippine Statistics Authority.
―The enactment of the UHC law is a defining moment for the Philippine health system. We, at
NEDA, are optimistic that its implementation will open the doors for more reforms that will
improve the health of Filipino people,‖ Pernia said.
He noted that the law brings the country closer to its collective long-term vision, AmBisyon Natin
2040, where all Filipinos live long and healthy lives and where healthcare is affordable and
accessible.
[1] One medical doctor per 20,000 population; 1 nurse per 10,000 population; and 1 midwife per
5,000 population. Data from DOH show that 28% of provinces have attained the 1 MD/20,000
population, 99% have reached the 1 N/10,000 population, and 79% have achieved the 1
MW/5000 population. (NEDA)
Dr. Hilario D. G. Lara: The Pioneer Of Modern Public Health In The Philippines
A pillar of public health
Throughout his career, Dr. Lara played a significant role in advancing the Philippine public
health movement, holding various key positions while establishing some of the most critical
public health institutions and initiatives in the country.
After completing his doctorate and returning to the Philippines, he became the Head the
Department of Hygiene at the College of Medicine. With support from the Philippine Legislature
and assistance from College Dean Dr. Fernando Calderon, Dr. Lara founded UP Manila‘s
School of Sanitation and Public Health. It formally opened in June 1927, initially offering the
Certificate in Public Health program. Its faculty was initially comprised of qualified personnel
from the College of Medicine, the Philippine Health Service, and the Bureau of Science, with
lecturers from the U.S. Army Medical Corps and the Quarantine Service.
Infectious passion
During his stay at Johns Hopkins, Dr. Lara began the first of many studies on the diagnosis,
treatment, and prevention of not one, but five infectious diseases. His research on cholera,
typhoid fever, dysentery, measles, and diphtheria proved to be invaluable in determining what
caused them and how to control their spread.
According to his grandson Ronald, Dr. Lara focused on those diseases because he was
―intrigued‖ by them. ―My grandfather decided to focus on the diseases (cholera, etc.) because
he felt that there was a rapid need to know and spotlight these infectious diseases,‖ Ronald
explained.
From 1922 to 1924, Dr. Lara conducted studies on carriers of diphtheria, a lethal disease that
blocks the infected person‘s airways and can do serious damage to their internal organs. His
research highlighted the need to look into diphtheria carriers in order to prevent its spread.
After closely examining a cholera epidemic in Romblon in 1926, Dr. Lara established that the
disease could indeed spread via contaminated seafood. Interestingly, his observations matched
earlier findings by Japanese researchers, further confirming his analysis.
Dr. Lara also looked into dysentery and typhoid fever cases in Manila, linking the problem to
untreated water from the Marikina river. This prompted the subsequent filtration and chlorination
of the city‘s water system.
In 1932, Dr. Lara investigated the relationship between measles cases in Manila and
meteorological conditions, after observing an apparent weather-influenced pattern. However, he
found no significant association between the two.
A much-needed shot in the arm
Dr. Lara wrote and published around 40 articles on epidemiology in prestigious journals such as
Acta Medica Philippina, Philippine Journal of Science, and American Journal of Hygiene. He
also established the Philippines‘ first urban and rural health demonstration units in Binangonan,
Rizal and Paco, Manila, respectively.
Additionally, he served as undersecretary of the Department of Health and Public Welfare in
1941. According to Beck, he provided assistance to American prisoners-of-war at the University
of Santo Tomas (UST) during his tenure.
In 1946, Dr. Lara represented the Philippines at the First International Health Conference in
New York, sponsored by the United Nations. There, he signed two historic international
agreements: the constitution of the World Health Organization (WHO), and the protocol on
international quarantine. In addition, Dr. Lara was the first Filipino to join WHO‘s advisory panel
on public health administration, serving from 1951 to 1961.
Public health challenges for 2020 (Part I)
Philippine Daily Inquirer / 05:05 AM December 19, 2019
This year has been very eventful for public health in the Philippines. In February, amid much
fanfare and anticipation, the Universal Health Care Act (Republic Act No. 11223) was passed —
a culmination of a series of health-related legislative measures over the past several years, from
the sin tax law (RA 10351) to the new HIV/AIDS law (RA 11166), that many hope would
transform the health care system. We also saw health figure in the 2019 elections as part of
several candidates‘ campaign platforms, with varying degrees of depth and substance.
Yet if 2019 saw a lot of attention toward health, it also served to illustrate the serious challenges
that need to be hurdled if ―health for all Filipinos‖ — and not just universal insurance coverage—
is to be achieved. As we face a new year, it is a timely exercise to enumerate some of these
challenges:
Vaccine-preventable diseases. Early this year, a measles outbreak claimed the lives of over 560
Filipinos; several months later, the re-emergence of polio—a disease that has been
documented in the country for decades—was announced. What the two diseases have in
common is that they are actually preventable through vaccines. The same can be said of
chickenpox, mumps, pertussis, for which doctors are also sounding the alarm.
To its credit, the Department of Health has strengthened its immunization efforts, including
awareness campaigns. In a reversal of what happened during the dengue vaccine scandal, I
have seen families lining up in rural health centers to get their children vaccinated in the wake of
the measles outbreak. Still, if 2020 is any different from 2019, families should be motivated not
by fear but by knowledge and trust. Crucially, supply-chain issues should be addressed and
public officials should be held accountable both for vaccine-related corruption and
misinformation.
Dengue and tuberculosis. The dengue season this year was particularly devastating with, as of
last month, over 350,000 cases and 1,300 deaths, prompting the declaration of a ―national
dengue epidemic.‖ Receiving far less attention but no less significant, tuberculosis—the ―boring
emergency‖—continues to plague the country, with an estimated 591,000 cases and 26,000
deaths last year alone, earning for the country the unwelcome distinction of ranking fourth
globally in terms of TB incidence.
While much of the public‘s attention concerned the dengue vaccine, the nature of the disease
means that it will require various actions from the personal to the national level toward primary
and secondary prevention—that is, mosquito control as well as access to quality outpatient,
emergency and inpatient care.
As for tuberculosis, Health Secretary Francisco Duque‘s call for ―not business as usual‖ last
year at the United Nations must be renewed, with particular attention given to strengthening the
role of primary care (including barangay health workers) in following up patients, rethinking the
―directly observed treatment, short-course‖ program, and enhancing coordination between
public and private health care providers.
HIV/AIDS. Despite increased public attention and the welcome visibility of people living with HIV
(PLHIV), the infection remains on the rise, even as efforts toward promoting condom use and
increasing testing remain inadequate. In absolute terms, HIV incidence remains low, with the
UNAIDS estimating a country total of 77,000 cases. However, the rate of increase—174 percent
over the past decade—is among the highest in the world. Moreover, while the national incidence
is relatively low, it is much higher in certain populations.
Unfortunately, buried in the stigma and lack of information is the fact that HIV is both
preventable and manageable. But we need to remove cultural, economic, bureaucratic and
physical barriers to enable access to comprehensive education, confidential testing,
antiretrovirals and pre-exposure prophylaxis—including for minors. RA 11166 addresses these
concerns, but the government should strive for their full implementation if we are to arrest this
trend.
References
R.A. 611. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://lawphil.net/statutes/repacts/ra1969/ra_6111_1969.html
Coronavirus maps and charts: A visual guide to the outbreak. (2020, March 11). Retrieved from
https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.bbc.com/news/amp/world-51235105
UHC Act in the Philippines: New Dawn for Healthcare. (2019, March 14). Retrieved from
https://www.who.int/philippines/news/feature-stories/detail/uhc-act-in-the-philippines-a-new-dawn-
for-health-care
Universal Health Care Law and what it means to PH development. (2019, June 18). Retrieved from
https://www.google.com/amp/s/pia.gov.ph/news/articles/1023412.amp
Fransisco, M. (2019, January 15). Dr. Hilario D. G. Lara: The Pioneer Of Modern Public Health In The
Philippines. Retrieved from https://www.flipscience.ph/news/features-news/features/national-
scientist-hilario-lara/
Lasco, G. (2019, December). Retrieved from

https://www.google.com/amp/s/opinion.inquirer.net/125981/public-health-challenges-for-2020-part-
i/amp
Philippine health care laws. [PDF file] (n.d.). Retrieved from

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=http://thepafp.org/website/wp-
content/uploads/2017/05/Philippine-Health-Care-
Laws.pdf&ved=2ahUKEwiLq_iBhZ7oAhWKfd4KHe5pDbMQFjACegQIAxAB&usg=AOvVaw2J4F7741Rr4cgr
Q5_k3uPj
Indigenous Knowledge System
Related Information
Indigenous knowledge has to do with the advertence, understandings, skills and philosophies
developed by societies with long histories of interaction with their natural surroundings.
Indigenous knowledge systems (IKS) comprises knowledge developed within indigenous
societies, independent of, and prior to, the advent of the modern scientific knowledge system
(MSKS). This helps to meet the broader objectives of society, for instance conserving the
environment, developing sustainable agriculture and ensuring food security, while its protection
encourages the maintenance of traditional practices and lifestyles.
This knowledge is developed and commended by communities, over time, in an effort to cope
with their own agro-ecological and socio-economic environments. Indigenous knowledge is also
the basis for local level decision-making in food security, human and animal health, education,
NRM, and other vital economic and social activities.
Indigenous knowledge plays a huge role in advancing science and technology. Specifically
when it comes to understanding ecological relationships and natural resource management. As
we all know that in terms of disaster risk reduction, we rely on ecosystems that protects the
environment and the communities. The revival and application of such knowledge and practices
can support ongoing efforts to increase the resilience of coastal communities. It is also
important in providing cumulative wisdom passed on from generation to generation.
Laws related to Indigenous Knowledge
Indigenous People's Right Act 1997 (IPRA) RA. 8371 of the Philippines
Section 34 - Right to Indigenous Knowledge Systems and Practices and to Develop own
Sciences and Technologies
- ICCs/IPs are entitled to the recognition of the full ownership and control end protection of their
cultural and intellectual rights. They shall have the right to special measures to control, develop
and protect their sciences, technologies and cultural manifestations, including human and other
genetic resources, seeds, including derivatives of these resources, traditional medicines and
hearth practices, vital medicinal plants, animals and minerals, indigenous knowledge systems
and practices, knowledge of the properties of fauna and flora, oral traditions, literature, designs,
and visual and performing arts.
References
Kinomis D.(2016). Indigenous Knowledge Systems and Practices. Retrieved from https://psa.gov.ph ›
sites › filesPDF
Compilation Of Attributes. (2018). Retrieved from https://www.ictinc.ca › blog › what-
Indigenous Corporate Training https( 2020) [Retrived Online]

www.ictinc.ca/?fbclid=IwAR3TVzFUn7tfBXWK10DMHU1BF-oPfFTscbyTCRvuHP_O21eqXu2XaK8GPJ8
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION
MAJOR ENVIRONMENTAL LAWS
REPUBLIC ACT 9003 ECOLOGICAL SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT ACT OF 2000

In partnership with stakeholders, the law aims to adopt a systematic, comprehensive and
ecological solid waste management program that shall ensure the protection of public health
and environment. The law ensures proper segregation, collection, storage, treatment and
disposal of solid waste through the formulation and adaptation of best eco-waste products.
(DENR-GOVPH, 2020)
REPUBLIC ACT 9275 PHILIPPINE CLEAN WATER ACT OF 2004

The law aims to protect the country's water bodies from pollution from land-based sources
(industries and commercial establishments, agriculture and community/household activities). It
provides for comprehensive and integrated strategy to prevent and minimize pollution through a
multi-sectoral and participatory approach involving all the stakeholders. (DENR-GOVPH, 2020)
REPUBLIC ACT 8749 PHILIPPINE CLEAN AIR ACT OF 1999

The law aims to achieve and maintain clean air that meets the National Air Quality guideline
values for criteria pollutants, throughout the Philippines, while minimizing the possible
associated impacts to the economy. (DENR-GOVPH, 2020)
REPUBLIC ACT 6969 TOXIC SUBSTANCES, HAZARDOUS AND NUCLEAR WASTE

CONTROL ACT OF 1990
The law aims to regulate restrict or prohibit the importation, manufacture, processing, sale,
distribution, use and disposal of chemical substances and mixtures the present unreasonable
risk to human health. It likewise prohibits the entry, even in transit, of hazardous and nuclear
wastes and their disposal into the Philippine territorial limits for whatever purpose; and to
provide advancement and facilitate research and studies on toxic chemicals. (DENR-GOVPH,
2020)
PRESIDENTIAL DECREE 1586 ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT (EIS)

STATEMENT OF 1978
The Environment Impact Assessment System was formally established in 1978 with the
enactment of Presidential Decree no. 1586 to facilitate the attainment and maintenance of
rational and orderly balance between socio-economic development and environmental
protection. EIA is a planning and management tool that will help government, decision makers,
the proponents and the affected community address the negative consequences or risks on the
environment. The process assures implementation of environment-friendly projects. (DENR-
GOVPH, 2020)
RESOURCES AND CONSUMPTIONS
-We have only one Earth. Today, the 7.7bn people on it are using more of its resources
than it can provide. Every new person is a new consumer, adding to that demand. Some
of us take far more than others and there are many steps we must take to make our
consumption sustainable - adding fewer new consumers everywhere is one of them.
―Anyone who believes in indefinite growth of anything physical on a physically finite planet is
either a madman or an economist.‖ – Kenneth Boulding, economist
RENEWABLE RESOURCES
-Everyone understands that many of the Earth's resources are finite. We are currently
completely reliant on fossil fuels, iron and other metals, minerals and even such basic
commodities as sand to keep the modern world ticking over. Adding more consumers makes
those resources run out faster.
-The Earth also provides for our needs with renewable resources, such as timber, clean water
and air, healthy soils and wild fish consumed for food. However, our demands are so great that
we are now using those resources at 1.7 times the rate that the Earth can renew them. That rate
has increased continually since the 1970s and, unless thing change, we will require three Earths
to supply our needs by 2050. (Global Footprint Network, 2020)
-Some people believe that greater efficiencies in the use of resources mean we will use less of
them. There is no evidence to support that, however. A study by the Massachussets Institute of
Technology in 2017 evaluated the use of raw materials such as crude oil and silicon, and found
that greater efficiencies led to price reductions, making commodities more affordable
and, increasing their demand and usage. They investigated more than 60 materials, and found
that only in six was consumption decreasing.
FOOD AND WATER

-More than 800 million people currently do not get enough food to meet their nutritional needs
every day. Meanwhile, 650 million are obese. People go hungry not because there is insufficient
food but because our global economic system distributes it unfairly.
-However, every extra mouth to feed puts more pressure on our food supply. That is already
under threat from multiple factors, including shortage of fresh water, soil depletion, decimated
populations of insect pollinators and climate change. The UN currently projects that we will
need 70% more food by 2050. In 2015, its Food and Agriculture Organization predicted that at
the current rate of soil erosion, the Earth has less than 60 harvests left.
-A landmark report on diet and sustainability by the EAT-Lancet Commission in 2019 concluded
that it is possible to feed a population of 10bn sustainably if radical action is taken to
revolutionise dietary habits and food production. It went on to say, however: Global population is
expected to exceed 11 billion people by 2100 unless actions are taken to stabilise population
growth. Healthy diets from sustainable food systems are possible for up to 10 billion people but
become increasingly unlikely past this population threshold. Action to address population is
essential if we are to meet the most basic human right of all - ensuring people have enough to
eat.
-Water is an absolute basic human necessity, and each person adds to demand Threats to
fresh water are even more critical. An MIT study concluded that nearly five billion people will live
in water-stressed regions by 2050. The United Nations has calculated that water shortages as a
result of climate change could displace hundreds of millions of people by 2030. Regional
variations in water availability are extreme but many of the world's poorest regions, and those
which have high population growth, are among those with the shortest suppply. Developed
countries also suffer from the effects of population pressure on water supply. The densely-
populated south-east of England is ranked in the bottom 10% of global regions for ability to
supply water to its inhabitants.
POLLUTION
According Global Footprint Network, as with every environmental problem, while there are many
solutions to pollution, adding more people to the population adds more polluters and makes
those solutions less effective. While rich countries produce more plastic waste per person, for
instance, poor regions where population growth outstrips the infrastructure to dispose of waste
may contribute more plastic overall.
GREED, NEED AND INJUSTICE
Material footprint per capita in high-income countries is 60% higher than in upper-middle-income
countries and more than 13 times the level of low-income countries.-United Nations
-Vast disparities exist in consumption and impact between the rich world and the Global South,
and within countries themselves. A more just global system, in which resources are distributed
more equitably, is essential. Whatever form that takes, in order to ensure that there is enough to
meet everyone's right to a decent standard of living, the richest must consume more sustainably
- in other words, consume less. When nations leave poverty, their fertility rates rates reduce -
but hand-in-hand with that increasing prosperity comes increased consumption. People should
not have to compete for the Earth's resoures.
-That's why population and family size is an issue in both developed and developing countries.
Where affluence and consumption is high, reducing the number of new consumers is an
effective, permanent way of reducing the drain they place on resources, as well as their
environmental impact. It does not mean that people should not do other things to reduce their
consumption, or that wider isues of global injustice do not need to be urgently addressed.
Nevertheless, reducing, through effective, ethical means, the number of affluent people
consuming is an essential, effective method to relieve the pressure.
-In the developing world, fewer people means less competition for natural resources, especially
local resources such as land and fresh water. In the longer term, fewer people being born
means that as countries move out of poverty, their level of consumption will be lower.
The Biggest Environmental Problems
In the study of Renewable Resources CO, 2016 says that the effect that humanity is having on
the environment is becoming ever-more important. Through our actions we are destroying
habitats and endangering the lives of future generations. At this point there is no denying the
fact that our environment is changing. Hundreds of studies have been conducted to
demonstrate that this is happening and it is having an effect on life around us. However, many
may be unaware of the specific issues that have led to these changes. Terms like ―climate
change‖ and ―genetic modification‖ are commonplace, but without additional information it is
difficult to see why they actually matter. To complicate the matter, many of these issues are
linked to one another. The key is that they are all important challenges that need to be
confronted. The impact that human activities have on the environment around us is undeniable
and more studies are being conducted each year to show the extent of the issue. Climate
change and the many factors that contribute to emissions could lead to catastrophic issues in
the future. More needs to be done to remedy the major environmental issues that affect us
today. If this doesn‘t happen, the possibility exists that great swathes of the planet will become
uninhabitable in the future. The good news is that many of these issues can be controlled. By
making adjustments, humanity can have a direct and positive impact on the environment.
Genetic Modification of Crops

Environmental issues caused by man-made chemicals are becoming clearer. For example,
there has been a 90% reduction in the Monarch butterfly population in the United States that
can be linked to weed killers that contain glyphosate. There is also some speculation that
genetically-modified plants may leak chemical compounds into soil through their roots, possibly
affecting communities of microorganisms.
Waste Production
The average person produces 4.3 pounds of waste per day, with the United States alone
accounting for 220 million tons per year. Much of this waste ends up in landfills, which generate
enormous amounts of methane. Not only does this create explosion hazards, but methane also
ranks as one of the worst of the greenhouse gases because of its high global warming potential.
Population Growth
Many of the issues listed here result from the massive population growth that Earth has
experienced in the last century. The planet‘s population grows by 1.13% per year, which works
out to 80 million people. This results in a number of issues, such as a lack of fresh water, habitat
loss for wild animals, overuse of natural resources and even species extinction. The latter is
particularly damaging, as the planet is now losing 30,000 species per year.
Water Pollution
Fresh water is crucial to life on Earth, yet more sources are being polluted through human
activities each year. On a global scale, 2 million tons of sewage, agricultural and industrial
waste enters the world‘s water every day. Water pollution can have harmful effects outside of
contamination of the water we drink. It also disrupts marine life, sometimes altering reproductive
cycles and increasing mortality rates.
Deforestation
The demands of an increasing population has resulted in increasing levels of deforestation.
Current estimates state that the planet is losing 80,000 acres of tropical forests per day. This
results in loss of habitat for many species, placing many at risk and leading to large-scale
extinction. Furthermore, deforestation is estimated to produce 15% of the world‘s greenhouse
gas emissions.
Urban Sprawl
The continued expansion of urban areas into traditionally rural regions is not without its
problems. Urban sprawl has been linked to environmental issues like air and water pollution
increases, in addition to the creation of heat-islands. Satellite images produced by NASA have
also shown how urban sprawl contributes to forest fragmentation, which often leads to larger
deforestation.
Overfishing
It is estimated that 63% of global fish stocks are now considered overfished. This has led to
many fishing fleets heading to new waters, which will only serve to deplete fish stocks further.
Overfishing leads to a misbalance of ocean life, severely affecting natural ecosystems in the
process. Furthermore, it also has negative effects on coastal communities that rely on fishing to
support their economies.
Acid Rain
Acid rain comes as a result of air pollution, mostly through chemicals released into the
environment when fuel is burned. Its effects are most clearly seen in aquatic ecosystems,
where increasing acidity in the water can lead to animal deaths. It also causes various issues for
trees. Though it doesn‘t kill trees directly, acid rain does weaken them by damaging leaves,
poisoning the trees and limiting their available nutrients.
Ozone Layer Depletion

Ozone depletion is caused by the release of chemicals, primarily chlorine and bromide, into the
atmosphere. A single atom of either has the potential to destroy thousands of ozone molecules
before leaving the stratosphere. Ozone depletion results in more UVB radiation reaching the
Earth‘s surface. UVB has been linked to skin cancer and eye disease, plus it affects plant life
and has been linked to a reduction of plankton in marine environments.
Ocean Acidification
Ocean acidification is the term used to describe the continued lowering of the pH levels of the
Earth‘s oceans as a result of carbon dioxide emissions. It is estimated that ocean acidity
will increase by 150% by 2100 if efforts aren‘t made to halt it. This increase in acidification can
have dire effect on calcifying species, such as shellfish. This causes issues throughout the food
chain and may lead to reductions in aquatic life that would otherwise not be affected by
acidification.
Air Pollution
Air pollution is becoming an increasingly dangerous problem, particularly in heavily-populated
cities. The World Health Organization (WHO) has found that 80% of people living in urban
areas are exposed to air quality levels deemed unfit by the organization. It is also directly linked
to other environmental issues, such as acid rain and eutrophication. Animals and humans are
also at risk of developing a number of health problems due to air pollution.
Lowered Biodiversity
Continued human activities and expansion has led to lowered biodiversity. A lack of biodiversity
means that future generations will have to deal with increasing vulnerability of plants to
pests and fewer sources of fresh water.Some studies have found that lowered biodiversity has
as pronounced an impact as climate change and pollution on ecosystems, particularly in areas
with higher amounts of species extinction.
The Nitrogen Cycle

With most of the focus being placed on the carbon cycle, the effects of human use of nitrogen
often slips under the radar. It is estimated that agriculture may be responsible for half of the
nitrogen fixation on earth, primarily through the use and production of man-made fertilizers.
Excess levels of nitrogen in water can cause issues in marine ecosystems, primarily through
overstimulation of plant and algae growth. This can result in blocked intakes and less light
getting to deeper waters, damaging the rest of the marine population.
The Natural Resource Use

Recent studies have shown that humanity uses so many natural resources that we would
need almost 1.5 Earthsto cover our needs. This is only set to increase as industrialization
continues in nations like China and India. Increased resource use is linked to a number of other
environmental issues, such as air pollution and population growth. Over time, the depletion of
these resources will lead to an energy crisis, plus the chemicals emitted by many natural
resources are strong contributors to climate change.
Transportation
An ever-growing population needs transportation, much of which is fueled by the natural
resources that emit greenhouse gases, such as petroleum. In 2014, transportation accounted
for 26% of all greenhouse gas emissions. Transportation also contributes to a range of other
environmental issues, such as the destruction of natural habitats and increase in air pollution.
Polar Ice Caps

The issue of the melting of polar ice caps is a contentious one. While NASA studies have shown
that the amount of ice in Antarctica is actually increasing, these rises only amount to a third of
what is being lost in the Arctic. There is strong evidence to suggest that sea levels are rising,
with the Arctic ice caps melting being a major contributor. Over time, this could lead to extensive
flooding, contamination of drinking water and major changes in ecosystems.
Climate Change
The majority of the issues previously listed contribute or are linked to climate change. Statistics
created by NASA state that global temperatures have risen by 1.7 degrees Fahrenheit since
1880, which is directly linked to a reduction in Arctic ice of 13.3% per decade. The effects of
climate change are widespread, as it will cause issues with deforestation, water supplies,
oceans and ecosystems. Each of these have widespread implications of their own, marking
climate change as the major environmental issue the planet faces today.
ENVIRONMENTAL PROLEMS
Many environmental problems now extend well beyond the local level, sometimes even
threatening the stability of our planet's life-support systems. Greenhouse gas emissions, long-
range air pollution, dispersion of toxic chemicals, and transport of unwanted species by ships
and air all have global scope, as do the extinction of species and the unwanted spread
of genetically modified organisms.
Recent reviews of the global environmental condition (Tellus Institute 2002; UNEP
2003; Worldwatch Institute 2004) provide us with an eloquent summary of the environmental
challenges facing society. They tell us that our world, home to an increasing population with
rising living standards, has a global system of production and trade that is putting enormous
pressure on our living space, that is to say on the environment which provides our resources
and receives our wastes. If we do not act decisively and soon, we face a bleak future of
ecological collapse and social chaos.
These same reviews advocate solutions—more or less radical and at various levels of
detail depending on the authors—that will prevent the chaos from happening. These involve a
range of policy, regulatory, and voluntary options to be implemented by various social partners.
All of them, however, will only be successful if there is greater commitment to act by politicians,
a deeper level of engagement of civil society and a more widespread application of appropriate
technologies and techniques. As is appropriate for a global dilemma, many of the proposed
solutions have a global reach, and most require a concerted, collective effort by nations and
individuals.
Our environmental ―toolbox‖ already contains a whole range of solutions. Depending on

circumstances, we can consider technology-based solutions, voluntary instruments for
business, tighter regulations, more stringent use of assessment procedures, and so on. A recent
feature of environmental solutions is their international harmonization, relying on common
methodologies and protocols, and global databases of basic knowledge. Standardization is
partly driven by globalized business that wants the same approach wherever it operates.
Environmental specialists at local level also find it useful to share experience and
research through common networks, and action frameworks.
Faced with so many potential solutions, how are we to select the most appropriate instrument
for the task ahead? Answering this question requires a sense of strategy if we are to choose
approaches that perform well at the local level but also give good results in the larger global
framework of environmental action. In many instances it is actually the framework which will
determine the solution.
This chapter shows how approaches and initiatives are applied. However, to get a full
picture we first need to understand their context, and to do that we must return to the roots of
environmental work and trace its evolution to the present day.
The History and Context of Environmental Solutions
Environmental management is still a young profession. Its first challenge, during the
middle part of the 20th century, was to deal with impacts that were obvious to the eye and
serious enough to demand urgent action. The immediate focus was on what we now call point-
source pollution, often originating from heavy industry. But it was also necessary to deal with
problems such as the destructive London smog, the release of untreated sewage into inland
waterways, and the uncontrolled dumping of chemical wastes.
Successes in dealing with these problems were undeniable. However, more dilute or dispersed
waste streams came into sharper focus once the major point sources were under control, and
there was a gradual realization that polluters also included average citizens driving their cars or
farmers spraying their fields. There was a realization that many of the early, and costly,
―solutions‖ simply moved pollutants from one environmental compartment to another, and the
work had to begin all over again. In fact, economic concerns quickly came to the fore. Cost-
effectiveness fell rapidly when it came to addressing the more dilute or dispersed streams.
Where the polluter could not pay but had political muscle, exemptions to environmental
regulations were often made and pollution continued unabated.
Conventional waste treatment solutions soon hit the steep part of the curve of
diminishing returns and the search began for more sophisticated approaches based on other
concepts, and also involving other actors. There was more emphasis on changing polluting
practices, on partnerships and on incentive-based approaches to supplement the existing
arsenal of point-source regulations and standards.
The scope of the problems was also found to be broader than had been expected. Pollution
does not respect frontiers, and emissions released in one country often impact its neighbors or,
in some cases, the entire planet. Transboundary problems such as long-range air pollution and
the still-current practice of exporting wastes to other countries began to feature in our daily
news.
Additional control programs were proposed, rooted in a more life-cycle view of materials
and products and in a consensus that it is more efficient to tackle the driving forces of a problem
than to deal with the final impacts. There was more talk about ―preventive‖ or ―upstream‖ action,
where the key actors are often mainstream business or development professionals but may also
be ordinary citizens in the form of consumers. Given that many of the driving forces have their
origins in globalized trade and consumption patterns, trade measures became a more visible
part of environmental policy.
As the costs of environmental programs increased it became necessary to reconsider

the objectives. Is zero pollution a realistic goal? We had long been accustomed to avoid this
question, sheltering behind the convenient standards promulgated by government authorities.
These, however, deal principally with the environmental quality endpoints and so gave little
guidance when work started on the upstream driving forces. Additional management criteria,
objectives and goals were needed to guide the future programs under construction. Cost-
benefit calculations became an integral part of environmental policy.
The environmental professional thus became increasingly confronted by competing or even
conflicting environmental objectives, made even more complicated by the multifunctional
character of the ultimate goal, sustainable development. Here, global guidance was sadly
lacking; our objectives have evolved faster than the development of new methodologies and
policies. Even nearly 15 years after the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro there are still few
guidelines on how to reconcile environmental quality with economic performance and social
welfare. The internationally agreed on Millennium Development Goals, the multiple objectives of
the World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD) in Johannesburg 2002, and even the
comprehensive Agenda 21 all suggest useful goals. But they deal with lists of single issues and
give no hint of how these can be integrated during the implementation process. We found
ourselves, quite suddenly, with a host of goals and a full toolbox, but with no guidance manual
to tell us how to put them all together in a coherent manner.
Innovative solution frameworks tried to fill the void. Holistic models based on life-cycle material-
flow concepts seemed to offer the necessary framework within which individual solutions could
be applied. Rather than focus on problems per se, the new approaches would deal with the
driving forces. Instead of dealing with waste disposal issues, there would be an attempt to
optimize global resource flows in line with the capacity of the planet's ability to provide. There
was much excitement at the prospect of these holistic approaches finally providing the global
solution called for by the doomsday reports.
The search for more effective approaches did not necessarily obviate the need for
simple emission standards and prescriptive regulations. Their relatively limited field of
application was counterbalanced by their relative simplicity of operation. They have also
remained in service for other reasons. The new alternative approaches were not well
understood by established experts and environmental officials, many of whom lacked
experience and contacts in the mainstream sectors where the new instruments are applied. The
fact that traditional solutions are strongly technology-based while the newer approaches look for
organizational and management solutions is also an important factor.
At this stage in the new century the environmental professional is indeed still only ―half-
way to the future‖ (Tellus Institute 2002), selecting from a host of methodologies and tools,
placing them in one or other of a variety of competing holistic frameworks, and often proceeding
with inadequate data. Solutions must solve today's problems at the local level but must also
make sense in a larger international framework that considers future generations and global
issues as well. The following sections look at each of these issues in turn.
Understanding Ecosystem Effects of Dams

As with most environmental problems, understanding the effects of dams on rivers, and
how to manage these structures as they age, is a multifaceted challenge that moves well
beyond the traditional bounds of ecological research. My involvement with this problem began
with a strictly academic curiosity about how rivers and streams work. In particular, I have had a
long-standing interest in how nutrients are transported and transformed as they move
downstream, and saw dam removal as an opportunity to gain some new insights into this
question. But this path led me into far broader environmental issues that included the practical
challenges of dealing with dams that are getting old and literally falling apart, environmental
policy debates, and the reactions of individuals and communities faced with the prospect of
removing a dam from a river. In the end, the complexities of dam removal provided me with a
remarkable experience that updated my personal definition of ecosystem science.(Stanley,
2013)
Controlling Air Pollution from Sources

The most severe environmental problem of fruit and vegetable processors is the potential for
water pollution if the liquid wastes are not handled properly. Cooking can cause odors, which
are usually controlled by using furnaces as afterburners.
One processing problem is presented by the roasting of coffee. This releases smoke, odor,
and particulate matter. The particulate matter, primarily dusty and chaff, can be removed with a
cyclone. The smoke and odors are usually consumed by passing the roaster exhaust gases
through an afterburner. Heat recovery may be desirable if the afterburner is large enough to
make it economical.( Vallero, 2014)
Integrated Planning of Energy and Water Supply in Islands

To internalize environmental problems related to CO2 emissions, namely, climate change, the
cost of a ton of CO2 emitted is included in the total production costs. The cost of CO2 considered
in this study is the cost of the certified emission reduction (CER). CER are emission reduction
certificates issued by the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and
the Kyoto Protocolfor the successful completion of Clean Development Mechanismclimate
protection projects. This mechanism allows countries or companies to acquire CER that can be
used to meet their own commitments by investing in projects in developing and newly
industrializing countries (without themselves having to reduce emissions.
The assumption is that if in the future CO2 emissions are to be charged, i.e., if a carbon price
would be charged to a company or country that has CO2 emitting systems, one starting value for
this price can be the current value of CER. The CER value is extremely volatile; hence, the
proposed system is analyzed with two different values of CER: the average value of CER since
this market was created until Feb. 2015 (Dr.Salah M. El-Haggar, 2007)
Regulation of Waste
Environmental problems faced today differ from those of most of the Earth's history in both kind
and degree. Society and its elected and appointed delegates increasingly respond to waste-
related problems by writing and enforcing laws. The number of laws enacted to address various
aspects of wastes has grown substantially in recent decades. Waste management requires
attention to the waste and the characteristics of the place where the waste is found. This place
is known as the ―environmental medium.‖ The major environmental media are air, water, soil,
sediment, and even biota. To make the regulation of wastes is even more refined, waste
management must be viewed systematically. Wastes tend to be transported and can cause
problems well beyond the borders of nations. One of the key waste management challenges of
the twenty-first century is the ease at which waste problems are simply transferred to countries
with less stringent controls. The interconnections of wastes can lead to a ―circle of poisons,‖ the
phenomenon where nations may ban a substance, but it continues to be produced and used in
other, usually less economically developed, countries. Despite the ban within the borders of
certain countries, the feared substance returns. Thus, the rationale for the ban, that is reduced
risks to that country's inhabitants, is forgone and people continue to be exposed when they
import the products that contain or are contaminated with the banned substances. (Vallero,
2011)
Environmental Fund
The Waste Management (Amendment) Act, 2001 provides for the establishment of an
Environment Fund, to be managed and controlled by the Minister for Communications, Climate
Action & Environment. Revenues from the levies on plastic shopping bags and the landfill of
waste are paid into the Fund, which may be utilised, for a range of purposes. These include
assistance in the following areas:
 schemes to prevent/reduce waste

 waste recovery activities
 research & development into waste management
 production, distribution or sale of products deemed to be less harmful to the environment than
other similar products
 development of producer initiatives to prevent/reduce waste arising from their activities
 implementation of waste management plans
 enforcement of the provisions of any enactment relating to waste management, prevention of
litter or protection of the environment
 partnership projects, that involve local authorities, to improve the quality of the environment for
particular local communities
 promotion of awareness of the need to protect the environment, including national and regional
campaigns
 promotion /support of education and training to assist achievement of campaign objectives
 resources (human or material) to enable education and training to be carried out
 initiatives undertaken by community groups and others for protection of the environment
 such other purposes for protection of the environment as may be prescribed by the Minister in
regulations.
Environment Fund Accounts are prepared on an annual basis. These Accounts are audited by
the Comptroller and Auditor General and laid before the Oireachtas. Copies of the Accounts for
the years 2001 to 2017 are available at the links below.
Environmental Law Implementation Group (ELIG)
Functions of the ELIG
The overarching objective of ELIG (and the ELIG process) is to assist in the protection and
enhancement of Ireland's environment by seeking to improve the transposition, implementation
and enforcement of Environmental Law.
The ELIG comprises of :

 Nominated representatives from the Department of Communications, Climate Action and
Environment (DCCAE) or any other Government Department or agency or local authority, as
appropriate, who has responsibility for managing particular cases or issues relating to
environmental law, which are included in the programme of work for the ELIG.
 Nominated representatives of An Taisce and the Environmental Pillar who will represent the views
of all member organisations of the Environmental Pillar and the views of An Taisce in relation to
specific issues / cases relating to environmental law, which are included in the programme of work
for the ELIG.
 Collectively, the nominated experts dealing with each individual case and issue will be known as
the Environmental Law Implementation Group.
The Parties to the ELIG select their representatives via their own internal processes and
nominate one main contact point for each issue / case.
There are no fixed meetings of the full ELIG. Identified contact points for each issue or case
forming part of the work programme of the ELIG agree the most appropriate methods for
communication and consultation, given the diverse range of issues that may arise.
The ELIG aims to:
 Enhance and improve upon the current case-by-case or issue-by-issue engagement on

environmental law matters between DCCAE and other relevant Government Departments and
agencies and the Environmental Pillar and An Taisce;
 Act as the primary vehicle through which communication and problem solving, in relation to issues
of transposition, implementation and enforcement of environmental law, between the DCCAE and
An Taisce and the other members of the Environmental Pillar occurs. Any issues of concern or
non-compliance with any element of environmental law identified by An Taisce or the other
members of the Environmental Pillar should, where appropriate, first be raised with the identified
key contact point for the issue through the ELIG.
 Provide direct contacts for each case / issue and ensure that these are kept up to date;
 Implement communication and consultation mechanisms that ensure that Government

Departments, agencies and the Environmental Pillar and An Taisce are informed of material
issues and changes relating to the creation, amendment, transposition, implementation or
enforcement of Environmental Law and can contribute to same;
 While respecting and recognising the constraints and requirements of the legislative process and
the short timeframes available to the State to respond to infringement letters from the European
Commission and rulings of the Court of Justice of the European Union, ensure that, in respect of
the transposition of EU Environmental Law or the creation or modification of Irish environmental
law, the DCCAE and other relevant Government Departments include the identified key contact
point of the Environmental Pillar and An Taisce in their stakeholder consultations and provide
them with a timely opportunity to submit observations where possible.
Role of the Environmental Law Implementation Group Bureau
The Bureau comprises of the following:
 Two representatives from DCCAE - known as the 'Department Representatives'.

 One representative nominated by An Taisce and one representative nominated by the
Environmental Pillar - known as the 'ENGO Representatives'
 Collectively DCCAE, the Environmental Pillar and An Taisce are known as 'the Parties to the
Bureau'
The Parties to the Bureau select their representatives via their own internal processes and also
nominate alternates. If a representative cannot attend a meeting the alternate can attend and
will have the same status as the representative they are standing in for. Otherwise, attendance
at Bureau meetings is only on the invitation of the Bureau, acting collectively.
Parties to the Bureau may seek the advice of experts and where deemed beneficial, and with
the agreement of the Bureau collectively, may invite such experts to attend Bureau meetings.
Meetings of the Bureau
The Bureau generally meets bi-annually or at the request of ENGO representatives.
Environmental Liability
The Environmental Liability Directive (ELD) provides for a common framework, based on the
'polluter pays' principle, to prevent and remediate environmental damage in EU Member States.
The fundamental principle of the Directive is that an operator whose activity has caused the
environmental damage or the imminent threat of such damage is to be held financially liable, in
order to induce operators to adopt measures and develop practices to minimise the risks of
environmental damage so that their exposure to financial liabilities is reduced.
The ELD is concerned with "pure ecological damage", and is based on the powers and duties of
public authorities ("administrative approach") as distinct from a civil liability system for
"traditional damage" (damage to property, economic loss, personal injury).
An overdue report from the Commission required by Article 18(2) of the Directive is anticipated
to contribute to further policy development in the field.
The Environmental Protection Agency is designated as the competent authority for these
Regulations.
The 2013 report to the EU Commission on the application of the Directive in Ireland is available
here
There has been subsequent amending legislation and a range of studies and reports regarding
the ELD.
Related Legislations
S.I. No.4 of 2019 European Union (Environmental Impact Assessment) (Peat Extraction)
Regulations 2019
Ireland has adopted new European Union (Environmental Impact Assessment) (Peat Extraction)
Regulations 2019 (S.I. 4 of 2019) which provides a regulatory framework for large-scale
commercial peat-extraction in order to ensure that applications can be made to the EPA for
licences to govern the extraction of peat in respect of developments of 30 hectares or more.
The regulations are being made under the European Communities Act 1972 and amend the
Environmental Protection Agency Act 1992 (No. 7 of 1992), as amended, and the Planning and
Development Act 2000 (No. 30 of 2000), as amended. This will ensure that Environmental
Impact Assessment (EIA) and related consultations are carried out, as required under the EIA
Directive, in relation to assessments by the EPA of applications for Integrated Pollution Control
(IPC) licences for large-scale peat extraction activities (areas of 30 hectares or more).
The new regulations introduce a simpler, more effective and more efficient EPA licensing
system that will be fully compliant with the EIA Directive and will operate seamlessly across
local authority boundaries. With the introduction of the new regulations, peat extraction on an
area of 30 hectares or more will be exempted from the requirement to obtain planning
permission by regulations being made under section 4(4)(a) of the Planning and Development
Act 2000 thereby taking such peat extraction activities out of the planning system and instead
addressing them through the more streamlined regulatory approach which builds on the
expertise built up in the EPA.
S.I. 533 of 2018 European Union (Mercury) Regulations
Ireland has adopted new European Union (Mercury) Regulations 2018 (S.I. 533 of 2018) which
provide for the enforcement of the EU Mercury Regulation (EU) 2017/852. The latter establishes
a regulatory framework to ensure a high level of protection of human health and the
environment from anthropogenic emissions and releases of mercury and mercury compounds.
The regulations cover measures and conditions concerning:
 the use and storage of and trade in mercury, mercury compounds and mixtures of mercury;
 the manufacture and use of and trade in mercury-added products:
 the management of mercury waste;
Putting in place the new National Regulations will facilitate Ireland's ratification of the UN
Minamata Convention on Mercury in 2019. The Minamata Convention provides an international
regulatory framework with the aim of protecting human health and the global environment from
the harmful effects of mercury.
References
DENR (2020) Major Environmental Compliance Assistance Center: Environmental Laws
[Retrived Online] http://ecac.emb.gov.ph/
Global Footprint Network (2020) Managing Our Biocapacity Budget: Ecological Footprint
[Retrived Online] https://www.footprintnetwork.org/
Population Matters (2020.) Resoruces and Consumptions: Renewable Resources [Retrived

Online] https://populationmatters.org/the-facts/resources
consumption?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIlvuGvOyd6AIVVqqWCh0BOgLAEAAYASAAEgJwlvD
_BwE
Population Matters (2020) Resoruces and Consumptions: Food and Water [Retrived Online]
https://populationmatters.org/the-facts/resources
_BwE
Population Matters (2020)Resoruces and Consumptions: Pollution [Retrived Online]

https://populationmatters.org/the-facts/resources
_BwE
Population Matters (2020) Resoruces and Consumptions: Greed, Need and Injustice [Retrived
Online] https://populationmatters.org/the-facts/resources
_BwE
Renewable Resources Coalition (2020) The Biggest Environmental Problems: Top 17

Environmental Problems [Retrieved Online]
https://www.renewableresourcescoalition.org/top-environmental- problems/
Elsevier, B.V. (2020) Science Direct: Environmental Problems:

https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/earth-and-planetary-sciences/environmental-
problem
Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment, 2020 [Retrieved Online ]

https://www.dccae.gov.ie/en-ie/environment/topics/environmental-protection-and-
awareness/Pages/related-legislation.aspx

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Mindanao State University

Fatima Uhaw, General Santos City

SCIENCE TECHNOLOGY AND SOCIETY

ANNA MICHELLE A. MAGBANUA

ANGELIE MARGARETH BALANCIO

JOHN PAUL SELWYN PRADO

MARCH 16, 2020

Environmental damage is another major concern. Coral-reef destruction, pollution of

The fisheries sector is divided into 3 sub-sectors: commercial, municipal, and

Agriculture is dying. This is a sad reality of the country.

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Duterte urges farmers: Give Rice Tariffication Law a chance

By CNN Philippines Staff

Published Jan 10, 2020 9:26:22 PM

The Philippine Rice Tariffication Law: Implications and Issues

Development (PCAARRD), Department of Science and Technology (DOST),

OVERVIEW OF PHILIPPINE RICE INDUSTRY

THE PHILIPPINES IN THE WTO

THE RICE TARIFFICATION LAW

Objectives of the Tariffication Law

Key provisions of the rice tariffication act

National Single Window Program. A proposed measure the setting up of a single

Rice tariffication and Inflation

Effects of rice tariffication

Potential displacement of farmers, NFA employees, accredited NFA retailers, rice

Some salient issues on rice tariffication

Philippine agriculture again misses growth target in 2019

MANILA, Philippines – Philippine agriculture continued to post dismal growth in 2019,

PH bans poultry products from Poland after bird flu outbreak

Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, January 27) — The Department of Agriculture

But to take precautionary measures, Agriculture Secretary William Dar, enumerated a

The Rice Tariffication Law and How it Affects You

Meanwhile, tariff revenues go to the Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund (RCEF),

1. Rice will be made affordable for everyone.

2. Workers can have more disposable income.

3. Taxes can now be allocated to other sectors.

4. People can improve their nutrition and well-being

5. You will be helping farmers become globally competitive.

As an alternative, the official proposed the establishment of meat packing zones in

LOOK: A timeline of African Swine Fever in the PH

With Alert Level 4 raised, volcanologists have warned of a possible ―hazardous

Agrarian reform in the Duterte administration

The Duterte administration is heir to an agrarian reform program with several

SOLUTIONS FOR THE IMPROVEMENT OF AGRICULTURE IN THE PHILIPPINES

The Philippines is currently facing different problems especially in the sector of

1. Small farm size; 78% farms are less than 3 hectares.

2. Land is being encroached upon by the housing and industrial sectors

3. Absence of critical programs on efficient irrigation systems

4. Inadequate management programs on soil, pests and diseases

5. Reduced farm labor

6. Expensive and inappropriate farm equipment for small farmers

7. Climate change and natural disasters

8. Inadequate technology transfer mechanisms

Solutions of the Mendelian Economists

1. Small farm size; 78% farms are less than 3 hectares.

8 Paradigms to Level-up Agriculture in the Philippines (William Dar, Ph.D.)

Agripreneurship should also form part of the paradigm to modernize Philippine

A convergence of efforts of the Department of Agriculture, and the Department of Trade

Agricultural areas need infrastructure development and logistics to improve their

6. Higher Budget and Investments for Agriculture

LAWS THAT SUPPORTS THE AGRICULTURE IN THE PHILIPPINES

REPUBLIC ACT NO. 10848

by the President on May 23, 2016