FOOD, taxes, energy and international trade obligations accounted for most of the business-related executive orders (EO) of President Rodrigo R. Duterte for most of his term.
Duterte started his term focused on issuing policies meant to address general public concerns as well as his campaign promises.
Among the first EOs which he issued in the first year of his presidency institutionalized the right to information of the public on government documents and transactions; increased the combat incentive pay of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, and established drug abuse treatment centers.
Policies directly related to business and financial matters only made it to Duterte’s priorities on the second year of his term, when he issued EO 13, Series of 2017, which strengthened the government’s anti-illegal gambling policies.
On the same year, he also issued EO 19, which implemented a reduction and condonation of real property taxes and interests/penalties assessed on the power-generation facilities of independent power producers under build-operate-transfer contracts with government-owned or -controlled corporations.
He also modified the nomenclature and the rates of import duty of certain information technology products to comply with the country’s commitment with the World Trade Agreement through EO 21.
Duterte issued separate EOs in 2017, which reduced the rates of duty on capital and equipment, spare parts and accessories imported by the Board of Investments, as well as the extension of the “most-favored rates duty on certain agricultural products.”
He would come out with more EOs on the same areas of concerns of his economic managers throughout his term.
EO 61, Series of 2018, modified the rates of import duty on certain imported articles for the implementation of the Philippine tariff commitments pursuant to the country’s free-trade agreement with the European Free Trade Association.
EO 65, Series of 2018, promulgated the Eleventh Regular Foreign Investment Negative List.
EO 116, Series of 2020, directed the adoption of a National Position on a Nuclear Energy Program.
Some of the issuances of the President are also a direct response to existing economic developments, such as EO 113, Series of 2020.
This EO temporarily modified the rates of import duty on crude petroleum oil and refined petroleum products so the government could take advantage of the low prices of said products in the international market and generate additional revenue for its pandemic response.
Duterte also issued EO 123, Series of 2021, which modified the rates of import duty on certain agricultural products. This was meant to stabilize the supply and the price of basic food items as people reel from the economic impact of the pandemic.
This was augmented by EO 124, which imposed mandated price ceilings on selected pork and chicken products in the National Capital Region, where a spike in prices of both food items was seen.
The slow impact of EOs 123 and 124 on the market price of pork meat prompted Duterte to issue EO 133, which increased the minimum access volume for the food item.
He also issued EO 134, which modified the rates of import duty on fresh, chilled, or frozen meat of swine; and EO 135, which temporarily adjusted the rates of import duty on rice to control food-related inflation.