CLOSE to P500,000 worth of pork and pork-related products from countries affected by the African swine fever (ASF) were disposed of by the Cebu provincial task force against the disease on Thursday, Sept. 5, 2019.

Around 90 kilos of frozen pork and cans of Chinese luncheon meat were disposed of through thermal destruction at the RRDS Petro Chemical Industries in Barangay Umapad, Mandaue City.

The destroyed items include P200,000 worth of Chinese luncheon meat that was confiscated from a shipment from Bohol at Pier 1 on Tuesday, Sept. 3.

These include 966 small cans (170 grams) and 246 large cans (340 grams) of luncheon meat.

They were reportedly from Cebu and were shipped to Bohol but were ordered shipped back to Cebu before they were confiscated.

Although the shipper had documents, it had no certification from the Food and Drug Administration.

On Aug. 22, Cebu Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia issued Executive Order 14, which bans for 100 calendar days the entry of pork, pork-related products and byproducts into Cebu province without permits or certificates.

EO 14 also regulates the transport of live hogs in the province for 100 days.

Aside from the pork products, around 100 live hogs that arrived in Cebu were also shipped back to Masbate on Aug. 26 after members of the task force found that their transport permits had been tampered with.

The hogs arrived in Cebu despite the regulation on the entry of live hogs through all ports in the province. (RTF)