AN ACT ENHANCING ANIMAL INDUSTRY DEVELOPMENT AND COMPETITIVENESS, STRENGTHENING THE BUREAU OF ANIMAL INDUSTRY, AND CREATING FOR THE PURPOSE THE ANIMAL COMPETITIVENESS ENHANCEMENT FUND

- The fines herein prescribed shall be increased by at least ten percent (10%) every five (5) years. SEC. 27. Administrative Adjudication. - The BAI is hereby empowered to impose the administrative fines and penalties provided in this Act. For this purpose, the BAI shall organize and designate the composition of the Adjudication Committee, which shall be composed of the BAI Deputy Administrator as Chairperson, the Director which handles regulations and enforcement functions as Vice Chairperson, and three (3) other members from the livestock sector to be designated by the Secretary. The Constitution shall promulgate rules and regulations for administrative adjudication and the disposition of confiscated animal products, animal by-products, and all other items used in the commission of the violations. It may also issue subpoena duces tecum and ad testificancum in administrative cases before it. The Office of the Assistant Director is charge of legal concerns shall serve as the Secretariat of the Adjudication Committee and shall be supported by an adequate number of personnel. Members shall be entitled to travel allowance, honorarium, and per diem for their attendance to the meetings, subject to government accounting and auditing rules. TITLE VI FINAL PROVISIONS SEC. 28. Transitory Provisions. - Animal industry-related functions of the DA regional field office shall be transferred to the regional office of the BAI established under this Act. Employees responsible for the transferred laboratory functions will be reassigned to the Office of the Regional Director for BAI regional offices. Their employment terms, benefits, and service records shall be preserved. The NMIS Central and Satellite Meat Laboratories shall be renamed and reorganized as Food Safety Laboratories of the BAI. SEC. 29. Appropriations. - The amount necessary of the initial implementation of this Act shall be charged against the current year's appropriations of the programs, bureaus, and agencies concerned. Thereafter, such amount shall be included in the annual General Appropriations Act. A one-time allocation of Two billion three hundred million pesos (P2,300,000,000.00) form the accumulated and unutilized Remedies Fund derived from safeguards imposed on bovine, chicken, processed pork and processed meat exports under Section 34 of Republic Act No. 8800 or the "Safeguard Measures Act" shall be allocated for the BAI, as follows: (a) There hundred million pesos (P300,000,000.00) for the BAI, for the development of One-stop Shop Regulatory Building for expanded NMIS; (b) Eight hundred twenty million (P820,000,000.00) for establishment of eighty-two (82) BAI provincial offices; (c) Six hundred eighty million pesos (P680,000,000.00) for biosafety programs of the BAI; and (d) Five hundred million pesos (P500,000,000.00) for the establishment of dairy hubs of the NDA. SEC. 30. Separability Clause. - If any provision of this Act is declared unconstitutional, the remainder hereof not otherwise affected shall remain in full force and effect. SEC. 31. Repealing Clause. - Such other laws, presidential decree, executive orders, letters of instruction, proclamations, or administrative regulations that are inconsistent with the provisions of this Act are hereby repealed, amended, or modified accordingly. SEC. 32. Effectivity. - This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its publications in the Official Gazette or in the two (2) newspapers of general circulation. Approved, (SGD.) FERDINAND MARTIN G. ROMUALDEZ (SGD.) FRANCIS "CHIZ" G. ESCUDERO Speaker of the House of Representatives President of the Senate This Act, which is a consolidation of Senate Bill No. 2558 and House Bill No. 11355, was passed by the Senate of the Philippines and the House of Representatives on June 4, 2025. (SGD.) REGINALD S. VELASCO (SGD.) RENATO N. BANTUG, JR. Secretary General House of Representatives Secretary of the Senate Approved: SEP 25 2025 (SGD.) FERDINAND ROMUALDEZ MARCOS JR. President of the Philippines