Duterte stands pat on pork EO, says it’s just a temporary measure

MANILA, Philippines — President Rodrigo Duterte has stood pat on his executive order (EO) that reduced tariffs on imported pork, saying it was just a temporary measure to bring down prices and could easily be revoked.

“Once the domestic market is a bit stronger, and there is a [downward price] movement, it’s very easy, we can always withdraw the EO that I signed … It’s just a temporary measure really to bring down the prices, but the senators see it in a different light,” the President said Monday in his televised address to the nation.

Fearing a flood of imported pork that could kill the local hog industry, lawmakers have urged President Duterte to withdraw EO No. 128, which lowers the tariff on imported pork.

But Duterte said while the senators’ concern was legitimate, his economic managers favored reducing tariff on the imported pork as a counter inflationary measure.

“I can understand from where the senators come from. There is also the domestic supply, which they intend to protect and they are vehement about it … I think that they think that they are right. The problem is my [economic] managers, [those from] finance are really in favor [of tarrif reduction],” he said.

Agriculture Secretary William Dar said it was projected that pork shortage would be around 388,000 metric tons.

Lower production

Dar said the projected demand for pork this year would be 1.6 million metric tons while the projected supply would be 1.2 million metric tons.

He attributed the shortfall to lower local production that has shrunk by 25 percent due to the African swine fever (ASF).

Dar said lowering the tariff on imported pork, along with increasing the minimum access volume to 404,210 metric tons, would cut pork prices in the market.

“We are not killing the local hog industry. What we are importing is what we lack [in supply] this year,” he said.

Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon, however, said on Tuesday that any hike in pork importation volumes would be “illegal” and could not be enforced until Congress acts on President Duterte’s endorsement of the new policy when it resumes sessions in May.

“To implement it without waiting for Congress to resume session and deliberate on the proposal is illegal, not to mention it is a total disrespect to a co-equal branch,” he said.

Drilon warned the Department of Agriculture (DA) that it did not have authority yet to raise the volume of pork imports despite the President’s recommendation in a March 26 letter to the Senate and the House of Representatives.