President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has issued an executive order increasing pork import volumes as the African Swine Fever (ASF) continues to affect the local hog industry.
Under Executive Order No. 116, signed on May 19, 2026, the minimum access volume (MAV) for pork imports will increase from 54,210 metric tons (MT) to 204,210 MT to help ensure affordable prices and augment local supply.
The order will remain in effect for two years, or until 2028.
The EO noted that the continued spread of ASF has significantly reduced the national swine inventory, resulting in a “substantial pork shortfall and persistently elevated pork prices.”
Marcos said the shortage of locally sourced pork has led to “persistently elevated pork prices, thereby increasing food costs and adversely affecting consumers.”
The order also directed the MAV Management Committee (MMC) to ensure that import allocations are fairly distributed among processors, which will receive 30,000 MT, and the Food Terminal Inc. under the KADIWA ng Pangulo Program, which will receive 120,000 MT.
The MMC was further instructed to formulate and issue the implementing rules and regulations within 30 days from the effectivity of the executive order.
“The guidelines shall ensure that the allocations intended for the Food Terminal Inc. and the KADIWA ng Pangulo Program are efficiently utilized and implemented in a manner consistent with the objectives of the MAV Plus mechanism, particularly in augmenting domestic supply, stabilizing market prices, and promoting consumer welfare,” the EO read.
