DA extends validity of all issued food pass stickers to April 30

April 16, 2020

The Department of Agriculture (DA) announced the extension of the validity of all  issued food pass stickers and related documents nationwide.

Assistant Agriculture Secretary. Noel Reyes, DA spokesman, said the validity of the food pass has been extended following the extension of the enhanced community quarantine to April 30, 2020 to ensure continued food supply.

Agriculture Secretary William Dar said the extension of the validity of all the food pass is part of the memorandum circular issued last Tuesday.

"We immediately issued DA Memorandum Circular No. 11, on April 14, 2020, extending the legitimacy of the 'Food Passes' we issued through our Agribusiness Marketing and Assistance Service (AMAS) to suppliers and truckers of food, rice, vegetables, fruits, meat and processed products, as well as farm, fishery and livestock inputs, raw materials and equipment," he said.

"The extension aims to ensure the seamless and smooth transport of food, cargoes, and agri-fishery inputs essential to food production and processing, including the movement of our frontliners -- farmers, fishers, and workers in food processing facilities -- across the country," said Dar.

“We are calling on all DA regional field offices (RFOs) to coordinate with their respective local government units, including the Philippine National Police to ensure that the extension will be honored at all checkpoints nationwide,” he added.

Reyes said because of the extension all the "DA food passes issued on March 18 and succeeding days thereafter remain valid until April 30, 2020, allowing trucks and cargo vehicles to pass through quarantine checkpoints as long as proper identification and other required documents are presented."

"To date, the DA has issued a total of 73,189 food passes: 4,109 at the central office in Quezon City; and 69,080 at the DA RFOs nationwide," he said.

"This is on top of the food passes issued by the DA's Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) for fish products, the National Meat Inspection Service (NMIS) for meat products, and the Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI) for live hogs, poultry, and other farm animals," he added. Robina Asido/DMS