RESTRICTED GENERAL AGREEMENT ON ^itd 2

RESTRICTED

GENERAL AGREEMENT ON ^i"td'2^ 19 October 1981

T A R I F F S A N D T R A D E Special D i s t r i bu t i on

Committee on Technical Barr iers to Trade Or i g i na l : English

INFORMATION ON IMPLEMENTATION AND ADMINISTRATION OF THE AGREEMENT"

Addendum

The following communication has been received from the delegation of the Philippines.

Pursuant to the provisions of the Agreement on Technical Barriers to Trade (Standards Code), submitted hereunder is the notification of the Philippine Government regarding the legislative, regulatory and administrative action taken as a result of acceptance of the Code on 15 February 1981 or which are currently in existence to ensure compliance with the provisions of the Agreement.

1. The Agreement was signed by the Philippines on 13 February 1981 and entered into force for the Philippines on 15 March 1981 in accordance with Article 15.6 of the Agreement. No specific legislation is required for the Philippines to implement the Agreement, copies of which have been circulated to the various government ministries involved in product standards, as well as the non-governmental agency, the Philippine Standards Association.

2. Existing Philippine legislation on standards is consistent with the obliga­tions assumed by the Philippine Government under this Agreement. Republic Act No. 4109 dated 20 June 1964 constitutes the basic legal source for standards in the Philippines. This has been subsequently amended by various laws, the latest being Executive Order No. 709 dated 29 July 1981 which converted the Philippines Bureau of Product Standards to the Product Standards Agency under the supervision and control of the Ministry of Trade and Industry.

3. For most products, technical regulations and certification systems are currently being administered by the Product Standards Agency and several other government agencies. A list of these agencies is attached as Annex A.

4. The Philippines Bureau of Standards has been designated as the principal enquiry point where all enquiries regarding Philippine application of the agree­ment shall be directed, pursuant to Article 10.1 thereof. However, in view of the recent government reorganization, this enquiry point would be the Product Standards Agency. The National GATT Secretariat which is under the Tariff Commission has been designated alternate enquiry point. Their office addresses are as follows:

TBT/1/Add.28 Page 2

(1) Product Standards Agency CNL Building Quezon Avenue 100 Quezon City, Metro Manila P.O. Box 3719

Cable Address: PHILSTANO

(2) National GATT Secretariat Tariff Commission 5th Floor, Philippine Heart Center for Asia Building East Avenue, Diliman Quezon City, Metro Manila P.O. Box 2479

Telex No.: 42032 TOWMED PM

5. Measures taken to ensure implementation of the Ageeement include: the creation of an Inter-Agency Working Group on Technical Barriers to Trade composed of the different standardizing and certifying bodies in the Philippines, including the lone non-governmental standardizing body, the Philippine Standards Association; circulation of the text of the Agreement to all government ministries and related agencies; conducted meetings of the Working Group to co-ordinate all activities relating to standards and the implementation of the Agreement, particularly the dissemination of information on product notifications to private sector parties concerned.

TBT/1/Add.28 Page 3

ANNEX A

STANDARDIZING AGENCIES IN THE PHILIPPINES

GOVERNMENT AGENCIES:

A. Bureau of Fiber Inspection Service

Administrative Order Nos. Title

1 Regulations on baling, tagging, marking, inspection, licensing, certification, weight and volume of bales, collection of fees, local transfer and foreign shipments of all Philippine commercial fibers.

2 Official Standard for Musa Factory Waste Fiber

2-A Official Standard for Hand and Spindle Stripped Abaca Fiber

2-1 Official Standard for Ramie Fermented Fiber

2-2 Official Standard for Decorticated

Abaca Fiber

2-3 Official Standard for Canton Fiber

2-4 Official Standard for Pacol Fiber

2-5 Official Standard for Maguey Fiber

2-6 Official Standard for Sisal Fiber

2-7 Official Standard for Ramie Fiber

2-8 Official Standard for Buntal Fiber

2-9 Official Standard for Kenaf Fiber

2-10 Official Standard for Coir Fiber

2-11 Official Standard for Cotton Fiber

2-12 Official Standard for Kapok Fiber

2-13 Official Standard for Cabo Negro or Yunot

TBT/1/Add.28 Page 4

Administrative Order Nos. Title

2-14

2-15

2-16

Bureau of Forest Development

Administrative Order Nos.

19-2

Unnumbered

Official Standard for Secondary Abaca Fiber

Official Standard for Sabahon Fiber

O f f i c i a l Standard fo r Non-Abaca (Musa Specie) Fiber

T i t l e

Grading Rules for Philippine Logs

Grading Rules for Sauntimber

Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources

Administrative Order No. Title

117

Bureau of Plant Industry

Administrative Order No.

Bureau of Animal Industry

Administrative Order Nos.

7-2

Rules and regulations governing the operation of processing plants for fish and fishery/aquatic products, and prescribing/requiring standards, quality control and inspection of processed fish and fishery/aquatic products

Title

Adoption of Standards Administrative Orders Issued by the Bureau of Standards as B.P.I. Administrative Orders on Some Raw Agricultural Crops Commodities for Export

Title

Rules and regulations governing the importation , bringing, or introduc­tion of animals into the Philippines from foreign countries, and pres­cribing the treatment to which they shall be subject before shipment and after their arrival in the Philippines

TBT/1/Add.28 Page 5

Administrative Order Nos. T i t l e

10

16

40

National Food Author i ty

TRSD-SQCD Nos.

1:1980

2:1980

3:1980

Philippine Coconut Authority

Administrative Order No.

003

Circular No.

5-003-81

Philippine Sugar Commission

Order Nos.

Rules governing the preparation, sale, traffic in shipment and importation of viruses, serums, toxins, or analogous products intended for use in the treatment of domestic animals

Rules and regulations governing the manufacture, importation, labelling, advertising and sale of livestock and poultry feeds

Rules and regulations governing quality standards of commercial feed ingredients

Title

Standard Specification for Palay (Paddy), Revised

Standard Specification for Milled Rice (Second Revision)

Standard Specification for Shelled Corn (Maize), Revised

Title

Rules and regulations governing the export and export pricing, marketing, trading and distribution of copra, coconut oil and other coconut products

Title

Standards for Coconut Oil

Title

Regulation on the Qual i ty of Raw Sugar

3 Amendment to Phi l ipp ine Sugar Order No. 2, series of 1968-69

TBT/1/Add.28 Page 6

Ci rcu lar Let ter No. T i t l e

6 Qual i ty standards fo r c e n t r i f u g a l

raw sugar

I. Philippine Tobacco Administration

Regulation No. Title

1 Rules and regulations for the classi­fication and grading of native leaf tobacco

J. Philippine Virginia Tobacco Administration

Presidential Decree No. Title

1481 Governing and regulating trading of

locally grown Virginia leaf tobacco

Regulation Nos. Title

Unnumbered Rules and regulations implementing Presidential Decree No. 1481

Unnumbered Rules and regulations governing trading of locally grown Burley leaf tobacco

K. Fertilizer and Pesticide Authority

Regulation No. Title

1 Rules and regulations governing the importation, manufacture, formulation, repacking, distribution, delivery, sale, storage and use of pesticides

i L. Philippine Bureau of Standards

i M. Food and Drug Administration

1 N. National Cottage Industries Development Authority

II. NON-GOVERNMENTAL AGENCIES;

A. Philippine Standard Association

T, Regulations to be submitted later