Amendments to Meat Inspection Code

NMIS is headed by an Executive Director, Deputy Executive Director, and Regional Technical Directors III, all appointed by the President.
Provides administrative, technical, and support services strengthened for effective implementation.
Divisions include:
- Plant Operation and Inspection: inspection, certification, and LGU supervision.
- Accreditation and Registration: accrediting meat establishments and related service providers.
- Enforcement and Food Defense: enforcing policies against hot meat and adulteration.
- Meat Import and Export Assistance and Inspection: accrediting foreign meat establishments, importers, exporters; inspecting imported/exported meat.
- Meat Science and Technology: training, data management, development of safety and quality standards.
- Laboratory Services: contaminant detection and data analysis.
- Consumer Information, Education and Assistance: consumer programs and complaint management.
- Legal Affairs: legal advice, assistance, investigation, and prosecution of violations.
- Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation: policy research, master plans, data bank.
- Engineering and Climate Change: technical assistance in equipment standards and climate programs.
- Administrative: human resources, records, security, logistics.
- Finance: financial services, administering the Meat Inspection Service Development Trust Fund (MISDTF).
Additional units may be established for organizational complement.

Existing regional NMIS offices comprise meat laboratories and technical, administrative, and finance services.
Personnel qualifications set by the Secretary of Agriculture and approved by the Civil Service Commission.
Two-year transition period to devolve NMIS-RTOC functions to provincial government for accredited meat establishments.
Certification for international trade meat remains with NMIS.

Secretary of Agriculture prescribes reasonable fees for NMIS and LGUs after public hearing.
Fees subject to revision upon due notice and hearing.
All fees, fines, and charges collected by NMIS are deposited to the National Treasury and accrue to the General Fund.

Separate trust fund administered by the Meat Inspection Board.
At least 50% of fees, fines, and charges for first five years allocated for the fund.
Uses include:
- Upgrading laboratory equipment to international standards.
- Establishing training facilities.
- Developing technical personnel and field enforcers.
- Conducting research and standard development.
- Indemnifying condemned animals ante-mortem.
- Accrediting and auditing foreign meat plants.
- Enforcement and food defense programs.
- Disposal facilities for seized/condemned items.
- Pest and disease control programs.
- Benefits and insurance for NMIS personnel.
- Assistance to LGUs, livestock sector, and meat industry.
May accept grants and donations not subject to NMIS regulation.

Violators of the Act or prohibited acts face:
- Imprisonment of 6 years and 1 day up to 12 years,
- Or fine from P100,000 to P1,000,000,
- Or both, at court discretion.
Offenders must pay damages to affected consumers.
Juridical persons' responsible officers subject to criminal liability and certificate cancellation.
Public officials face perpetual disqualification from public office.
Administrative fines imposed by NMIS and LGUs include:
- Section 48 a) and b): confiscation and escalating fines (P50,000 to P100,000), business prohibition on third offense.
- Section 48 c) and d): confiscation, fines from P200,000 to P500,000, business prohibition on third offense.
- Sections 49, 50, 51, 52, 54 and hot meat violations: confiscation, fines P200,000 to P500,000, prohibition for three years.
- Section 53 violations: six-month suspension first offense; dismissal second offense.

If any provision is declared unconstitutional or invalid, unaffected provisions remain in full force and effect.

Inconsistent laws, decrees, executive orders, and administrative issuances are repealed, amended, or modified accordingly.

The Act takes effect fifteen (15) days after publication in the Official Gazette or two newspapers of general circulation.