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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider Malacañang asked to hold dialogue with hog raisers on import policy

Malacañang asked to hold dialogue with hog raisers on import policy

Published Apr 17, 2021 10:48 am

Senator Francis Pangilinan is appealing to President Duterte to sit down with hog raisers and other concerned groups to discuss the situation of the local industry and come up with more appropriate solutions to the crisis brought about by the African swine fever (ASF).

A customer pays for pork at a roadside market stall in Mandaluyong City, Manila, the Philippines. (Bloomberg file)

Pangilinan recalled the lament of hog raisers that they were not consulted by the government in deciding to reduce the tariffs and increase the minimum access volume (MAV) for pork imports.

"Baka pag narinig at nalaman ng Presidente ang sitwasyon ng African swine fever mismo sa mga magbababoy, ma-ideklara na niya agad ang state of calamity, at siya na mismo ang mag-rescind ng EO 128 (Maybe if the President hears the ASF situation from the pork producers, he would declare a state of calamity right away and rescind the EO 128),” the senator said on Saturday, April 17, referring to the executive order temporarily lowering tariff rates on imported pork.

“We believe the President is not deaf and blind to the woes of our local hog raisers. If he talks to them, he would see the reality on the ground," he added.

Hog raisers said they have written to Malacañang at least twice to seek an audience with the President.

The Department of Agriculture (DA), on the other hand, insisted that it consulted local stakeholders before forwarding to Duterte its recommendations to lower the pork tariffs and raise the MAV.

On Thursday, April 15, the Senate Committee of the Whole unanimously approved a resolution calling on the President to withdraw his EO 128. Senators believed that the order will spell doom for Filipino hog raisers and will not necessarily lead to lower prices in the market.

Senate President Vicente Sotto III said on Friday, April 16, that the President may have been misinformed into allowing the lowering of the tariffs and increasing the volume of imported pork.

"Local hog raisers are willing to cooperate, but they need government to listen to their proposed way out of this quandary," Pangilinan said in his statement.

"We hope the President will heed this call for a dialogue to once and for all address their woes and help revive the agriculture sector toward food self-sufficiency amid the pandemic," he appealed.

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