BACOLOD City – Amid the 90-day ban on pork from Luzon, the Negros Occidental Provincial African Swine Fever (ASF) Task Force shipped back to Manila hundreds of kilograms of pork products which arrived at the Bacolod-Silay Airport and Bredco Port.
The task force on Thursday posted on its Facebook page photos of “misdeclared” items including pork products that arrived at the airport.
The day before, the team also seized about 777 kg of pork products, such as chorizo, tocino, ham, bacon, sausages, pork liver, and pork leg – which was manufactured by MKKS Food Industry in Cainta, Rizal – at the seaport in the Bacolod Reclamation Area. The shipment was immediately returned to its port of origin.
Based on the document presented, the shipment contained imported pork processed in Luzon.
Negros Occidental – the country’s number one backyard swine producer – has banned since Sept. 11 the entry of pork and its by-products.
Task force personnel, including staff of the Provincial Veterinary Office (PVO), Bureau of Animal Industry, and Philippine Coast Guard, intensified monitoring of the arrival of food product shipments to ensure that the ban is enforced.
Dr. Ryan Janoya, head of the PVO Animal Health and Meat Inspection Services Division, said they can ship back the banned products if the consignee decides not to dispose of the shipment after its arrival.
Last Saturday, the task force seized at least 27 kg of pork “asado” siopao from Luzon.
The 34 packs of siopao, which were shipped via cargo, were part of the 175 kg of various products sent to a food cart operator in the province.
Negros Occidental, which has a P6-billion swine industry, remains ASF-free, but the PVO stressed the need for the province to be proactive in protecting its swine production.
Provincial veterinarian Renante Decena, co-chair of the Provincial Task Force on ASF, urged Negrenses, especially travelers, to cooperate and report the possible entry of pork products from Luzon.(With a report from PNA/PN)
