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Wednesday, August 01, 2007
City steps up drive against hog cholera
By Grace L. Plata
DAVAO CITY -- The City Government of Davao has intensified efforts to prevent an outbreak of hog cholera, with health officials urging the buying public to check if the meat is safe and if government inspectors had inspected it.
The Office of the City Economic Enterprises (CEE), which manages the city markets and slaughterhouses, ordered meat vendors to display on their stalls the permits and certifications issued by the National Meat Inspection Service.
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These documents, according to CEE chief Francisco Vales Jr., prove that the meat being sold is fit for public consumption.
Vales said they have to implement precautionary measures after hog cholera, a highly contagious viral disease that affects swine, hit backyard farms in Pampanga and Bulacan last week.
"Dapat tingnan yung (they should check the) date ng (of) meat certification issued by the City Veterinarian's Office and the National Meat Inspection Service to make sure that the meat you are buying is safe," he said.
He said there are no reports of hog cholera contamination in the city and neighboring towns, but it is necessary for the public to exercise caution.
Vales admitted that two weeks ago, health and market authorities confiscated about 200 kilos of "hot meat" sourced from animals that did not pass inspection.
The hot meat was immediately condemned though it was not certain if it was contaminated.
Agriculture (DA) Secretary Arthur Yap, however, assured the public that they were safe against hog cholera, which can be prevented through vaccination.
Authorities said the disease had been controlled and had been confined to a few farms only. It will have no effect on the supply of hogs nationwide, they added.
Yap said they would monitor slaughterhouses closely and strictly requires documentation of meat being sold in the market.
Aside from advising hog raisers to strictly implement bio-security measures to control the spread of hog cholera, Yap also ordered that all transport of breeders and hogs for slaughter be covered by appropriate authority or shipping permits and monitored at veterinary quarantine checkpoints.
"The selling and transport of sick and affected animals is strictly prohibited," Yap stressed in a directive. (Sun.Star Davao/Sunnex)
For more Philippine news, visit Sun.Star Pangasinan. (August 1, 2007 issue)
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