RP retains preferential treatment for tuna in US

MARAWI City — President Arroyo said yesterday the intense campaign undertaken by her administration to protect the country’s tuna industry and keep its preferential treatment in the United States market has paid off.

In her remarks at the 3rd National Conference of the Ulama League of the Philippines held at Barangay Matampay here, the President said that she was informed by Executive Secretary Alberto Romulo that the US Congress did not pass a bill that would allow duty-free entry of tuna from the countries that constitute the Andes mountain ranges in Latin America.

"Our fears that we will lose our preferential treatment for tuna in the US market has been put to rest," the President said.

According to the President it was important for her administration to keep the preferential treatment of the tuna exports to the US since the industry is the lifeblood of Muslims, Christian and Lumads in Mindanao.

The President said that she has written directly to US President George W. Bush to help in maintaining the preferential treatment for Philippine tuna in the American market.

She said she was glad to learn that instead of removing this advantage through the passage of a legislation that would allow the duty-free entry of tuna from South America, the US government has even increased its financial assistance to the Philippines by an additional $70 million.

The President said the bulk of this new American financial package will go to Mindanao.

It can be recalled that in late May this year, the President expressed her appreciation to American Senators Ted Stevens and Daniel Inouye for protecting the Philippine share of the canned tuna market in the United States.