Rep o rt of th e tw en - Rotterdam Convention

The Philippines lagged behind developed countries in the development and the upgrading of
the technical and physical infrastructure for implementation, and be consistent with the different
international as well as regional standards. This was due mainly to the lack of resources – budget,
manpower, physical infrastructure – which has always been the primary constraint of developing
countries.
During the first quarter of 2004, a major pest outbreak of corn plant hopper (Stenocranus
pacificus Kirkaldy) was reported in the Island of Mindanao. The biology of the pest was still under
study. The integrated pest management approach consisting of cultural, physical, chemical and
information campaign was implemented to control the pest. Brontispa longissima, coconut hispine
beetle, was detected during the first quarter of 2005 in some of the southern provinces in Luzon.
An action plan for controlling the pest was formulated consisting of inter-island and import quarantine,
use of biocontrol agent and cultural control.
The national IPM programme was implemented in major rice, corn and vegetable growing
provinces. The programme consisted of training programmes for specialists, trainers and farmer
field schools. It was very successful in increasing yield and income of rice and corn farmers. It
also helped empower farmers technically and it succeeded in putting in place skilled and motivated
extension workers and farmers acting as implementers, along with local government mobilizing
resources and support in the programme areas.
The Fertilizer and Pesticide Authority was mandated to ensure the availability of fertilizer
and pesticide and to regulate their production, distribution, safe use and handling with the aim of
protecting human health and the environment. The pesticide regulatory policies and the implementing
guidelines were in conformity with existing international standards.
The BPI through the National Pesticide Analytical Laboratory monitored pesticide residues
for agricultural crops. The Philippines does not have a National Maximum Residue Limit (MRL),
but follows CODEX and the ASEAN harmonized MRL.
3.16 Republic of Korea
To promote the sustainable environment-friendly agriculture at the government level, the
Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry (MAF) of the Republic of Korea actively encouraged farmers
to use the IPM and Integrated Nutrient Management (INM) in accordance to the environment-friendly
Agriculture Promotion Act, which was revised in 2001, and devoted to the development and distribution
of microbial pesticides and pest control methods using natural enemies.
The National Plant Quarantine Service (NPQS) of Korea developed the Plant Quarantine
Certificate Electronic Exchange System for the purpose of preventing a loss or forgery, and submitted
phytosanitary certificates to trade partners in the form of electronic documents. The NPQS also
established the One-Stop Civil Application Settlement System which enabled importers to request
for the inspection of imported plant and plant products and to confirm the status of inspection progress
(by using internet). By establishing a prompt plant quarantine system, the NPQS saved a significant
amount of time and personnel resources.
In order to cope with a new outbreak of prohibited pests and the active exchanges between
the Republic of Korea and the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, the NPQS adjusted the
prohibited areas of some prohibited plant and plant products, and newly opened the Goseong
sub-branch office in April 2005, to be in charge of plant quarantine for the plant and plant products
moved between the two countries. In addition to this, the NPQS of Korea endeavored to secure the
plant quarantine circumstance, in which the harmonization with International Phytosanitary Standards
could be realized without difficulties, by promoting the specialization of plant quarantine officers
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