Modifying the Nomenclature and Rates of Duty on Imported Educational, Technical, Scientific and Historical or Cultural Books

June 3, 2010 EXECUTIVE ORDER NO. 885 MODIFYING THE NOMENCLATURE AND THE RATES OF DUTY ON IMPORTED EDUCATIONAL, TECHNICAL, SCIENTIFIC AND HISTORICAL OR CULTURAL BOOKS UNDER SECTION 104 OF THE TARIFF AND CUSTOMS CODE OF 19 78 (PRESIDE NTIAL DECREE NO. 14 64), AS AMENDED WHEREAS, the Philippines is a signatory to the United Nations Education Scientific and Cultural Organization Florence Agreement; IHAcCS 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. TAIESD DONE in the City of Manila, this 3rd day of June, in the year of Our Lord, Two Thousand and Ten. ANNEX A Hdg. AHTN Code Description Rate of duty No. (%) (1) (2) (3) (4) 49.01 Printed books, brochures, leaflets and similar printed matter, whether or not in single sheets. 4901.10.00 - x x x - Other: 4901.91.00 - - Dictionaries and encyclopedias, and serial 0 instalments thereof 4901.99 - - Other: 4901.99.10 - - - Educational, technical, scientific, historical or 0 cultural books 4901.99.90 - - - x x x 49.02 Newspapers, journals and periodicals, whether or not illustrated or containing advertising material. 4902.10.00 - x x x 4902.90.00 - Other 4902.90.00A - - EDUCATIONAL, TECHNICAL, SCIENTIFIC, 0 HISTORICAL OR CULTURAL JOURNALS AND PERIODICALS IN WHICH THE ADVERTISING MATTER DOES NOT EXCEEDED 70 PER CENT BY SPACE 4902.90.00B - - Other 5 49.03 4903.00.00 Children's picture, drawing or colouring books. 0 49.04 4904.00.00 Music, printed or in manuscript, whether or not 0 bound or illustrated. 49.05 Maps and hydrographic or similar charts of all kinds, including atlases, wall maps, topographical plans and, globes, printed. 4905.10.00 - Globes 0 - Other: 4905.91.00 - - In book form 0 4905.99.00 - - Other 0 49.11 Other printed matter, including printed pictures and photographs. 4911.10.00 - Trade advertising material, commercial catalogues and the like: 4911.10.00A - - CATALOGUES OF EDUCATIONAL, 0 TECHNICAL, SCIENTIFIC, HISTORICAL OR CULTURAL BOOKS AND PUBLICATIONS 4911.10.00B - - OTHER 5 - Other: 4911.91 - - Pictures, designs and photographs: 4911.91.20 - - - Wall pictures and diagrams for instructional 0 purposes 4911.91.30 - - - x x x 4911.91.90 - - - x x x 4911.99 - - Other: 4911.99.10 - - - x x x 4911.99.20 - - - x x x 4911.99.90 - - - Other: 4911.99.90A - - - - EDUCATIONAL, TECHNICAL, 0 SCIENTIFIC, HISTORICAL OR CULTURAL MATERIAL PRINTED ON A SET OF CARDS (E.G., FLASH CARDS, RECIPE CARDS, BRAIN TEASERS AND THE LIKE) 4911.99.90B - - - OTHER 10 85.23 Discs, tapes, solid-state non-volatile storage devices, "smart cards" and other media for the recording of sound or of other phenomena, whether or not recorded, including matrices and masters for the production of discs, but excluding products of Chapter 37. 8523.40 - Optical media: - - Discs for laser reading systems: 8523.40.11 - - - x x x 8523.40.12 - - - x x x 8523.40.13 - - - Of a kind used for reproducing sound only: 8523.40.13A - - - - EDUCATIONAL, TECHNICAL, 0 SCIENTIFIC, HISTORICAL OR CULTURAL COMPACT DISCS (E.G., AUDIO BOOK IN A FORM OF SOUND RECORDING EQUIVALENT TO A CONVENTIONAL PRINTED BOOK OR FOR INSTRUCTIONAL PURPOSES) 8523.40.13B - - - - OTHER 10 8523.40.14 to x x x 8523.80.90B