(File photo)
MANILA – A party-list lawmaker on Thursday said there is a need to provide adequate financial support for unorganized backyard livestock raisers, for them to recover from the African swine flu and the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) pandemic.
In a statement, Ang Probinsyano Party-list Representative Alfred Delos Santos said unorganized backyard raisers will be the hardest hit by any crisis that strikes the livestock and poultry industry.
"While I commend the Department of Agriculture on fostering more organized backyard livestock raisers and farms, I noticed a gap through which those who do not qualify or unable to qualify could fall through. There is no adequate safety net for the unorganized livestock raisers," Delos Santos said.
He noted that since its passing in 1956, Republic Act No. 1578, or the law consolidating certain funds into the Philippine Livestock Promotion Fund, has not undergone the updating that would most benefit the raisers of livestock, especially small-holders or backyard raisers.
"Congress must remedy this urgent need to update the 67-year-old law," he said.
He said Section 2 of the law, which tackles the possible uses of the fund, does not provide for aiding, or protecting the unique or specific interests, of backyard livestock raisers.
He further explained that under Section 3 of RA 1578, the Director of Animal Industry’s authority and power to make disbursements out of the fund does not extend to giving direct financial assistance to backyard livestock raisers.
Under Delos Santos' proposal as contained in House Bill (HB) 3655, backyard raisers who want to avail of direct financial assistance must register with the Department of Agriculture’s Registry System for Basic Sectors in Agriculture.
The bill also enables other local government units in the National Capital Region to ban slaughterhouses in their jurisdictions if they deem it necessary. The current ban in RA 1578 applies only to the City of Manila.
The measure also updates the slaughter fees from their 1956 rates stated in RA 1578 to: PHP120 (from PHP0.90) per head for cattle, carabaos, buffaloes, horses, mules and other animals of the bovine family; PHP80 (from PHP0.60) per head for swine; and PHP40 [PHP0.30] per head for sheep, goats, and deer. (PNA)
