Senator Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan on Thursday, April 8, appealed to President Duterte to expedite the declaration of a national state of calamity to help hog raisers recover from the effects of the African swine fever (ASF).

Pangilinan made the call following Duterte’s signing of Executive Order No. 128 temporarily lowering tariffs on imported pork meat for a year to address the current supply shortage which was due to the ASF outbreak.

The senator said a state of calamity declaration would help the Department of Agriculture (DA) tap the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Fund (NDRRMF) and Quick Response Fund (QRF) to contain and manage the ASF as well as help affected hog raisers cope with the loss of livelihood and income.

Pangilinan said he was hoping that the President would sign the declaration of a state of calamity alongside the signing of the EO 128.

“Dahil kapag pumasok na yung tone-toneladang (Because once we see the entry of the) 380,000 metric tons—and another 54, 210 MT—of imported pork, eh ang laking competition ito (this is going to be a huge competition),” Pangilinan said in a Zoom meeting with reporters.

“Ang laki ng epekto nito sa (This will have a huge impact on the) local hog industry. So 'yon ang nakakalungkot. Hinihintay pa natin 'yon (So that is the sad part. We are still waiting for that declaration),” he pointed out.

“Andyan na 'yan. Kaya ang apela natin ipasa na 'yong EO para sa state of calamity para magkaroon ng pondo para sa ating mga mambababoy (It’s already signed. So our appeal is that he signs an executive order declaring a state of calamity so there would be funds to help our hog raisers),” the senator said.

“Kasama na rin dyan yung mga nagtitinda ng feeds…. Lahat yan apektado ng ASF (Because that would also include those who sell hog feeds and other swine products…all of them are affected by the ASF),” he further said.

At the same time, Pangilinan said he would file a resolution asking the Senate Committee on Agriculture and Food to strictly monitor the implementation of EO 128 to ensure the judicious execution of, and to guard against profiteering in the billion-peso pork importation. 

“Ang ASF ang pinaka-ugat nitong shortage ng baboy (ASF is the reason why we have a shortage on pork). Therefore, pork importation is a stop-gap measure. Pero hindi tayo dapat maging adik sa pag-import ng karne (But it doesn’t mean we have to be addicted to pork importation),” he stressed.  

The former food security secretary said the resolution he will file intends to call on the Senate agriculture and food panel, chaired by Sen. Cynthia Villar, to “monitor and exercise its oversight functions” over the importation of pork under EO 128.

“Pagtutulungan namin sa Senado na hindi aabusuhin itong pagi-import ng milyon-milyong kilo ng pork (We, in the Senate, will work closely to make sure no one will abuse this importation of millions in kilos of pork),” he said.

Last March 15, the Senate adopted Senate Resolution No. 676 urging Duterte to declare a state of national emergency to address the ASF outbreak and its impact to the local hog industry.

The Senate also convened itself as a Committee of the Whole, after adopting Senate Resolution No. 685, filed by Sen. Panfilo Lacson who sought a probe on the alleged kickback scheme in the importation of pork.

Lacson, for his part, said the Senate will “dig deeper” into the President’s EO 128, and how this will impact the country’s food security.

The scheduled hearing on Monday, April 12, he said, "intends to dig deeper into the circumstances that brought the hog and poultry industry to this pathetic state.”