Department of Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. has pledged strong support for Filipino hog raisers suffering from steep financial losses caused by cheap foreign pork and dropping farmgate prices. To offer immediate relief, the agency plans to halt the issuance of sanitary and phytosanitary import clearances for select pork cuts starting around mid-November through January, once legally permissible. The department is also exploring general safeguard measures that could lead to longer import restrictions, aiming to shield both backyard and commercial producers from severe market pressures.
To address long-term stability, the agency is aligning with industry group SINAG to advocate for higher import duties, backing a return to 30 percent in-quota and 40 percent out-quota tariff rates. Because changing tariff rates requires coordinated action with the Tariff Commission and other government bodies, this policy push underscores the administration’s willingness to re-evaluate trade protections previously set under Executive Order No. 62. By combining immediate administrative import holds with a broader effort to raise tariff barriers, the policy signals a major pivot toward prioritizing domestic agricultural survival and strengthening local food security over reliance on low-tariff imports.
