REPUBLIC ACT NO. 7307 - AN ACT
CREATING THE PHILIPPINE CARABAO CENTER TO PROPAGATE AND PROMOTE THE
PHILIPPINE CARABAO AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES
Section 1. Title. — this Act shall be known as the
"Philippine Carabao Act of 1992".
Sec. 2. Declaration of Policy. — The Constitution
provides that the State shall develop a self-reliant and independent
national economy effectively controlled by Filipinos. It also provides
that the State shall support indigenous, appropriate, and self-reliant
scientific and technological capabilities, and their application to the
country's productive systems and national life. Towards this end, the
State shall establish various programs to conserve, propagate and
promote the Philippine carabao as a source of draft animal power, meat,
milk, and hide.
Sec. 3. Definition of Terms. — As used in this
Act, the following terms shall mean:
a) "Philippine Carabao Center" refers to the National
Carabao Center at the University of the Philippines at Los
Baños, the other carabao centers in Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao,
and those that will be created pursuant to this Act:
b) "Draft animal power" refers to power provided by
the carabao as a farm animal;
c) "Smallholder farmer" refers to a farmer owning or
cultivating five (5) hectares or less of farmland;
d) "Semi-Commercial Production" refers to the raising
of twenty (20) to forty-nine (49) carabaos.
Sec. 4. Creation of the Philippine Carabao Center.
— There is hereby created a Philippine Carabao Center, hereinafter
referred to as the PCC which shall under the supervision and control of
the Department of Agriculture.
Sec. 5. Powers and Functions of the PCC. — The PCC
shall have the following powers and functions:
a) Conserve, propagate and promote the Philippine
carabao as a source of draft animal power, meat, milk, and hide;
b) Enable the farmers, particularly smallholder
farmers and CARP beneficiaries to avail themselves of good quality
carabao stocks at all times and at reasonable prices through an
organized program of production, breeding, training and dispersal;
c) Undertake training programs for farmers,
particularly smallholder farmers and CARP beneficiaries, designated to
transfer technology on the proper case and reproduction of the carabao
and the processing of its meat and milk;
d) Encourage backyard dairy development in rural
areas by raising carabaos so as to meet the nutrition needs of the
smallholder farmers and their families and reduce dependence on
imported milk by-products;
e) Undertake research activities in all disciplines
that lead to the improvement of the over-all productivity of the
Philippine carabao;
f) Increase the existing annual population growth of
the Philippine carabao to keep pace with human population growth; and
g) Enter into memoranda of agreement and received
donations through the Department of Agriculture from local and foreign
sources. Upon the recommendation of the PCC Advisory Board, the
individual carabao centers may enter into agreements directly with
funding agencies through their respective board of regents or head of
agency.
Sec. 6. Priorities. — The PCC shall give priority
to the following activities:
a) Increase in carabao population and productivity;
b) Development of feeding systems for backyard and
semi-commercial production, improving reproductive efficiency,
physiology and schemes to reduce losses caused by parasites and
diseases;
c) Reproduction, breeding, nutrition and animal
health;
d) Socio-economic researches to ensure economic
viability and acceptance of technology by farmers and
e) Development of appropriate technologies that are
cost-effective, simple and practical.
At least thirty (30) to fifty (50) percent of the carabaos
maintained/propagated by each carabao center shall be of the pure
native/indigenous stock to ensure the preservation of the Philippine
carabao and provide option to the farmers.
Sec. 7. PCC Advisory Board. — The PCC Advisory
Board shall be composed of the following:
a) Secretary of the Department of Agriculture or his
representative, as Chairman;
b) Undersecretary for Regional Operations, Department
of Agriculture, as Vice Chairman;
c) Executive Director, Philippine Council for
Agriculture, Forestry and Natural Resources, Research and Development
(PCARRD);
d) Chancellor of the University of the Philippines in
Los Baños (UPLB) and presidents of Central Luzon State
University (CLSU), Central Mindanao University (CMU), Cagayan State
University (CSU), Don Mariano Marcos Memorial State University (DMMMSU)
in La Union, Visayas State College of Agriculture (VISCA), West Visayas
State University in Iloilo, University of Southern Mindanao (USM), and
the president of the state college or university where a carabao center
may be established pursuant to this Act;
e) Director of the Bureau of Animal Industry;
f) Executive Director of PCC; and
g) Farmers' representative to be appointed by the
Board.
Sec. 8. Functions of the PCC Advisory Board. — The
PCC Advisory Board shall perform the following functions;
a) Formulate policies, programs and projects for the
development of the Philippine carabao;
b) Review and recommend the annual budget of the PCC;
c) Evaluate the implementation, efficiency and
effectiveness of the program and projects of the PCC; and
d) Recommended the establishment or abolition of
carabao centers as may be deemed necessary.
Sec. 9. Executive Director of PCC. — The Executive
Director of the PCC shall be appointed by the Secretary of the
Department of Agriculture.
The Executive Order of the PCC shall perform the following functions:
a) Oversee the implementation of the policies,
programs and projects of the PCC;
b) Assist the PCC Advisory Board in the review,
evaluation and monitoring of the Carabao Program; and
c) Perform such other functions as may be assigned by
the PCC Advisory Board.
SECTION 10. Appointment of Directors or Project
Leaders of Other Carabao Centers. — The Directors or Project Leaders of
the carabao centers shall be appointed by the respective board of
regents or head of agency.
SECTION 11. Functions of the Directors or Project
Leaders of Other Carabao Centers. — Subject to the policies of the PCC,
the Directors or Project Leaders of other carabao centers shall perform
the following functions:
a) Administer the policies, program and projects of
the PCC in their respective centers;
b) Recommend the creation of divisions and sections
including the staffing pattern of the centers;
c) Prepare the budget of their centers;
d) Approve the expenditures of their respective
budgets;
e) Recommend to their respective head of agency the
appointment of personnel or consultants;
f) Recommend policies, programs and projects to the
Executive Director of the PCC; and
g) Perform such other functions as may be assigned by
the Executive Director of the PCC.
SECTION 12. Implementation and Coordination of the
Program. — The PCC Advisory Board through the Executive Director shall
coordinate, monitor and evaluate the implementation of the carabao
program.
It shall identify, through the Directors of carabao centers and Project
Leaders from the various implementing stations, the programs and
projects in the areas of reproduction, breeding, distribution,
nutrition, animal health, and processing of carabao meat and milk. It
shall formulate strategies relative to the reproduction and
distribution of the Philippine carabao.
Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao shall initially have total of thirteen (13)
carabao centers. The Centers in Luzon shall be located at U.P. Los
Baños (UPLB) in Laguna; Central Luzon State University (CLSU) in
Nueva Ecija; Cagayan State University (CSU) in Cagayan; Don Mariano
Marcos Memorial State University (DMMMSU) in Ilocos Norte; and Don
Mariano Marcos Memorial State University (DMMMSU) in La Union. The
centers in Visayas shall be at La Carlota Stock Farm in Negros
Occidental; Ubay Stock Farm in Bohol; Visayas State College of
Agriculture (VISCA) in Leyte; and West Visayas State University in
Iloilo. The centers in Mindanao shall be at Central Mindanao University
(CMU) in Bukidnon; University of Southern Mindanao (USM) in Cotabato;
Mindanao State University in Marawi City and Mindanao Livestock
Development Complex in Kalawit, Labason, Zamboanga del Norte. These
centers shall specialized in the development of technology on
reproduction, breeding, nutrition, animal health and processing of meat
and milk.
SECTION 13. Farmer's Participation. — The
farmer-participants shall be encouraged to establish strong farmers
associations or cooperatives to serve as focal point for government
assistance in the propagation and dispersal of Philippine carabaos and
dissemination of technology on the carabao.
SECTION 14. Beneficiaries. — The beneficiaries of the
CARP and those under Presidential Decree No. 27, and other smallholder
farmers shall be given priority in the carabao dispersal program.
SECTION 15. Participation of the Department of
Agriculture and Local Government Units. — The carabao centers, the
regional and provincial offices of the Department of Agriculture,
specifically the Bureau of Animal Industry, and the local government
units shall implement a carabao dispersal and propagation program
within their respective areas in accordance with the national policy
and program of the PCC. The PCC shall adopt a national dispersal
program to primarily benefit the smallholder farmers and CARP
beneficiaries.
Any income from the sale of the carabao shall be placed in a revolving
fund to be used in the propagation and distribution of carabaos.
SECTION 16. Use of Funds. — Not more than thirty
percent (30%) of funds allocated under this Act and in subsequent
annual appropriations shall be used for personal services, and
maintenance and operating expenses, ten percent (10%) for research and
development, sixty percent (60%) for carabao dispersal and
distribution.
SECTION 17. Annual Report. — The PCC submit an annual
report to the Office of the President, the Senate, and the House of
Representatives indicating among others the umber of carabaos
distributed and the names of the beneficiaries.
SECTION 18. Transfer of Carabao Programs to the PCC.
— Upon approval of this Act, this existing carabao programs and
projects implemented by various agencies shall be transferred to the
PCC.
SECTION 19. Appropriation. — The amount necessary to
carry out the provisions of this Act shall be included in the General
Appropriations Act of the year following its enactment into law and
thereafter.
Sec. 20. Separability Clause. — If any part,
section, or provision of this Act shall be held invalid or
unconstitutional, the rest of the provisions shall not be affected
thereby.
Sec. 21. Repealing Clause. — All laws, executive
orders, rules and regulations, or parts thereof which are inconsistent
with this Act are hereby repealed or modified accordingly: provided;
however, that nothing in this Act shall amend, modify or repeal the
provisions of Republic Act No. 7160, otherwise known as the Local
Government Code.
Sec. 22. Effectivity. — This Act shall take effect
fifteen (15) days from the date of its publication in the Official
Gazette or in at least two (2) newspapers of general circulation.
Approved: March 27, 1992
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