Mango Export Promotion Act

JUL 15 P3:21 TWENTIETH CONGRESS OF THE ) REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES First Regular Session RECEIVED 3 SENATE S.B. No. - Introduced by SENATOR IMEE R. MARCOS AN ACT URGING THE COMPREHENSIVE PLANNING, DEVELOPMENT, AND EXPORT PROMOTION OF THE PHILIPPINE MANGO, AND PROVIDING FUNDS THEREFOR EXPLANATORY NOTE Article II, Section 21 of the 1987 Constitution provides that, "The State shall promote comprehensive rural development." The "Carabao" Mango, internationally known as the Manila Super Mango, is widely known as one of the best varieties of mango due to its superior quality and taste. It is listed as the sweetest in the world by the 1995 Guinness Book of World Records. As of 2024, global mango trade is worth 1.66 billion US Dollars, with Mexico as the biggest mango exporter. In terms of production, India is the biggest mango producer, followed by China, Mexico, Pakistan and Thailand. Sadly, despite its fame and quality, the Philippine mango has failed to date to break into this huge international While mangoes can be produced in most parts of the country, less than 5% of the present domestic produce is exported. The industry is suffering from problems related to economies of scale, as it is dominated by farmers with small landholdings, which makes them susceptible to problems such as the proliferation of the cecid fly or kurikong. Further, the lack of processing equipment and capacity for the production of mango puree and other processed products hinder the growth of the processed sector. For the abovementioned reasons, the immediate passage of this bill is earnestly sought. Free h. Mared ~ IMEER. MARCOS

TWENTIETH CONGRESS OF THE ) JUL 15 P3:21 First Regular Session REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES ) RECEIVED SENATE S.B. No. - 656 Introduced by SENATOR IMEE R. MARCOS AN ACT URGING THE COMPREHENSIVE PLANNING, DEVELOPMENT, AND EXPORT PROMOTION OF THE PHILIPPINE MANGO, AND PROVIDING FUNDS THEREFOR Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in Congress assembled:

Section 1. Short Title. - This Act shall be known as the "Mango Export Promotion Act."

Sec. 2. Establishment of the Mango Export Promotion Council (MEPC). - A council,

composed of the Secretary of the Department of Agriculture (DA) or his representative as the Chairperson, the Secretary of the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) or his representative, the Secretary of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) or his representative, and one (1) each from the mango growers and commercial processors' sectors to be designated by the Secretary of the DA shall be created immediately upon the effectivity of this Act to ensure the government's, support, and assistance to mango exporters. The Bureau of Plant Industry (BPI) under DA, through the office which implements the High-Value Crops Development Program, shall be designated as the MEPC'S Secretariat.

Sec. 3. Functions of the MEPC. - The MEPC, in consultation with the Department of

Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), Department of Science and Technology (DOST), state universities and colleges, mango growers' and processors cooperatives and organizations, local government units, and the private sector, shall formulate a ten (10) year framework to be validated and updated annually. Such Framework shall serve as guide to the formulation and implementation of plans, programs and projects for the production, processing and marketing of Philippine mango for export worldwide, as envisioned in this Act. The Framework shall likewise provide for the following: a) National Framework - The DA, DOST, state universities and colleges (SUCs), and other stakeholders shall strengthen the conduct of researches on mango particularly on areas of crop improvement, crop protection, harvesting and

postharvest handling, supply chain analysis, marketing and promotion; b) Investment Promotion and Facilitation - The DA and DTI shall develop programs establishing links between stakeholders in the Mango Industry and Government Financial Institutions (GFIs) and other financial cooperatives. The DA and DTI shall likewise develop and implement programs that would establish reasonable and innovative investment incentives to attract more players in the Mango Industry; c) Export Promotion Support - An integrated and strategic export promotion program for Mango Industry shall be created. The export promotion program shall be responsive to market conditions, needs of the exporters, and possibilities offered by new products and technologies. It shall likewise provide foreign trade and export promotion activities through trainings, technical assistance, capacity building, generating awareness on export opportunities, and export planning assistance; d) Strengthen Trade Policies and Support Network. - The DA shall be responsible in coordinating a consultative approach for the various stages of the trade policy making process. The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) shall lead the negotiation of Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) to provide a competitive e) Monitoring and Evaluation. - The DA shall continuously monitor, track, and analyze the progress and outcomes of the programs to be implemented to determine over-all effectiveness.

Sec. 4. Appropriations. - The amount necessary to implement this Act shall be included

in the annual General Appropriations Act (GAA). Thereafter, such funds as may be necessary for the continued Implementation of this Act shall be included in the succeeding annual GAA.

Sec. 5. Separability Clause. - If any provision, or part hereof, is held invalid or

unconstitutional, the remainder of the law or the provision not otherwise affected shall remain valid and subsisting.

Sec. 6. Repealing Clause. - Any law, presidential decree or issuance, executive order,

letter of instruction, administrative order, rule or regulation contrary to or inconsistent with, the provisions of this Act is hereby repealed, modified, or amended accordingly.

Sec. 7. Effectivity Clause. - This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its

publication in at least two (2) newspapers of general circulation. Approved,