DA chief on AO 20: My team was not consulted

Department of Agriculture (DA) Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel, Jr. said he was neither involved in the drafting of Administrative Order No. 20 nor was consulted about it.

“I understand this discussion was going on before my time. I was not consulted personally,” Laurel said in a hearing at the House of Representatives.

"My team was not consulted. This AO is a band-aid solution...hindi ako masyadong kumporme diyan, and that is why we have asked the President for a 90-day extension. His specific instructions were to protect the farmers and fishermen," he added.

Issued on April 21, 2024, AO 20 removed the non-tariff barriers on the importation of agricultural products to ensure supply and address the continuous increase in domestic prices.  It also mandated the Bureau of Customs (BOC) to prioritize the unloading and the release of imported agricultural products, subject to the Customs Modernization and Tariff Act.

The order tasked the departments to streamline the licensing of importers, cut down the processing time of applications, and exempt licensed traders from the submission of registration requirements.

It also ordered the importation of certain agricultural products beyond the authorized minimum access volume or the quota that the government allows entry of imported agricultural products into the country at the in-quota tariff rate, and the reduction or removal of administrative fees involved.

National Economic Development Authority assistant director Rory Jay Dacumos said the policy was a product of consultation among members of an inter-agency committee on inflation monitoring and outlook that includes the DA,  Department of Finance, and Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas.  The panel then endorsed its findings favoring the issuance of the order to NEDA.

AGAP party-list lawmaker Nicanor Briones said the policy was impacting farmers' livelihood worse than El Niño. 

“Parang napakaluwag na, parang highway ng mga importers. Kapag binasa mo, parang drinaft ng importer eh. Nakonsulta ba ang ating mga farmers bago inilabas ang AO?,” Briones said during the same public hearings.

“Talo pa nito ang El Niño (extreme drought). Kasi hindi natin alam kailan ang expiration ng AO,” he added.

“The proposal [for AO 20 issuance] was approved by the committee in December 2023,” Dacumos added.

Laurel was appointed to his post as Agriculture chief in November 2023.  He took over the department from Marcos, who served as concurrent agriculture chief for several months.