WHEREAS, the Philippines is a signatory to the United Nations Educations, Scientific and Cultural Organization Florence Agreement;

WHEREAS, the agreement aims to advance the mutual knowledge and understanding of people through all means of mass communication, promote the free flow of ideas by word and image and to achieve the widest possible dissemination of the diverse forms of self-expression;

WHEREAS, the Philippines, as signatory to the Agreement, undertakes “not to apply customs duties or other charges on, or in connection with, the importation of (a) books, publications and documents, listed in Annex A to this Agreement; (b) educational, scientific and cultural materials, listed in Annexes B, C, D and E of this Agreement; which are the products of another Contracting State, subject to the conditions laid down in those annexes”;

WHEREAS, pursuant to RA 8047 (Book Publishing Industry Development Act), the continuing development of the book publishing industry is encouraged to ensure adequate supply of quality and affordable books;

WHEREAS, the elimination of duty on books will promote and strengthen the development of education in the Philippines which is the key to a better life;

WHEREAS, Section 401 of the Tariff and Customs Code of 1978 (Presidential Decree No. 1464), as amended, empowers the President of the Republic of the Philippines to increase, reduce or remove existing rates of import duty, as well as to modify the form of duty and tariff nomenclature, under Section 104 of the Code.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, GLORIA-MACAPAGAL-ARROYO, President of the Republic of the Philippines, by virtue of the powers vested in me by law, do hereby order:

SECTION 1. The articles specifically listed in Annex “A”^* hereof, as classified under Section 104 of the Tariff and Customs Code of 1978, as amended, shall be subject to the Most-Favoured-Nation (MFN) rate of import duty in accordance with the schedule indicated opposite each article.

SECTION 2. The rates of import duty on tariff headings and subheadings not enumerated and those listed but represented by the symbol “x x x” shall remain in force and effect.

SECTION 3. Upon the effectivity of this Executive Order, all articles specifically listed in the aforesaid “Annex” which are entered and withdrawn from warehouses in the Philippines for consumption shall be levied the MFN rates of duty as indicated therein.

SECTION 4. All other Presidential issuances, administrative rules and regulations, or parts thereof, which are inconsistent or contrary with this Executive Order are hereby revoked or modified accordingly.

SECTION 5. This Executive Order shall take effect thirty (30) days following its complete publication in the Official Gazette or in a newspaper of general circulation in the Philippines.

(SGD.) GLORIA M. ARROYO

By the President:

(SGD.) LEANDRO R. MENDOZA
  Executive Secretary

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*Text Available at Office of the National Administrative Register, U.P. Law Complex, Diliman,Quezon City.