MANILA – President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. has yet to sign an executive order (EO) expanding the minimum access volume (MAV) for corn imports as the government assesses its potential impact on local farmers during the harvest season, Malacañang said Tuesday.
Speaking to reporters, Presidential Communications Office Undersecretary Claire Castro said the Palace is coordinating with the Department of Agriculture (DA) to ensure the proposal does not adversely affect local corn farmers and the animal feed sector.
“Sa ngayon po, hindi pa pinipirmahan ang executive order dahil maaaring makaapekto ito sa ngayon sa local feed sector at sa mga farmer ng mais, ng corn dahil harvest season po sa ngayon (The EO has not yet been signed as it could affect the local feed sector and corn farmers as it is currently harvest season),” Castro said.
“So, binabalanse po ngayon kung kailan ito dapat pipirmahan dahil kung harvest season, maaapektuhan po ‘yung ibang mga magsasaka natin (The government is weighing when the EO should be signed because its implementation during the harvest season could affect other farmers).”
The DA is proposing to increase the country’s MAV for corn to 500,000 metric tons (MT) to help protect domestic livestock and poultry producers from higher feed costs amid the threat of the El Niño phenomenon.
The proposed volume is more than double the current regular quota of 216,940 MT.
Corn imports within the MAV allocation are subject to a preferential tariff of 5 percent, while shipments exceeding the quota are taxed at 15 percent.
The DA said the proposed increase is a calibrated contingency measure, not a permanent policy shift. Imports would be activated only when supply conditions warrant, without unnecessarily displacing local corn farmers.
