Legal Basis for Revising Minimum Access Volume (MAV)
- Republic Act No. 8178, as amended by RA No. 11203, governs the Agricultural Tariffication Act.
- Section 6 allows the President to propose adjustments in MAV in case of shortages or abnormal price increases.
- The President submits proposals to Congress, which must act within 15 days or the proposal is automatically approved.
Presidential Proposal to Increase MAV for Pork Meat
- On March 26, 2021, the President proposed increasing the 2021 pork meat MAV from 54,210 MT to 404,210 MT to address shortages, reduce prices, and stabilize inflation.
- Congress did not act within the required period, causing a delay in approval.
Adjusted MAV Recommendation
- After reviewing existing measures, including Executive Order No. 128 (s.2021), which reduced affordable pork importation,
- It was recommended to increase the 2021 pork meat MAV by 200,000 MT instead of 350,000 MT.
Objectives of the Executive Order
- To immediately address the pork supply gap.
- To ensure consumers have adequate and affordable access to pork meat.
- To help lower inflation in the country.
Section 1: Increase in MAV of Pork
- The MAV for 2021 is increased from 54,210 MT to 254,210 MT.
- Unused MAV volume by the end of 2021 cannot be carried over to 2022.
Section 2: Allocation of MAV to Importers
- The MAV Management Committee is tasked with allocating import volumes fairly and openly.
- Allocation must comply with existing rules for agricultural MAVs and other relevant laws.
Section 3: Effectivity of the Order
- The Executive Order takes effect immediately upon its publication in the Official Gazette or a newspaper of general circulation.