Safeguarding Food Security and Supply Chain Stability: AmCham Statement on EO 116 MAV Guidelines
The American Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines (AmCham) strongly affirms its commitment to working alongside the government to strengthen food security, protect Filipino consumers, and maintain a stable, competitive economic environment.
In this spirit, AmCham fully supports the core intent of Executive Order No. 116 to increase the pork Minimum Access Volume (MAV). This expansion is a vital and timely intervention to address supply constraints, manage African Swine Fever (ASF) pressures, and stabilize food prices for Filipino families.
However, while we support the policy’s objectives, AmCham expresses deep concern regarding the recently issued MAV allocation guidelines. The sudden recalibration of long-standing allocation frameworks introduces severe unpredictability for established, compliant importers. Over decades, these operators have invested heavily in the country’s critical agricultural infrastructure, including specialized logistics and cold storage networks, ensuring the safe and efficient nationwide distribution of food.
Sudden disruptions to these synchronized supply chains risk creating unintended market instability, which could inadvertently impact the availability and price of pork for regular consumers.
While AmCham strongly supports government efforts to enhance transparency and eliminate systemic abuse, regulatory reforms must remain predictable, proportionate, and data-driven. Abrupt policy shifts undermine investor confidence and threaten the very supply chains tasked with delivering food security.
Therefore, AmCham welcomes the House Committee on Agriculture and Food’s active engagement with sector stakeholders. We support the Committee’s initiative to appeal to the Executive branch to temporarily hold the implementation of the new guidelines in abeyance. This will allow for a rigorous, collaborative review to ensure that final implementation mechanics protect both immediate consumer welfare and long-term market stability.
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