AROUND 27 kilograms of pork asado siopao from Luzon were confiscated by livestock inspectors of the Provincial Veterinary Office (PVO) and personnel of the Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI), who are part of the Provincial Task Force on African Swine Fever (ASF), at Bacolod-Silay Airport in Silay City over the weekend.
The 27 kilograms of pork asado siopao was shipped via cargo and forms part of the 34 packs of various products for a food cart business in the province. The packs weigh a total 175 kilograms.
"These pork products from Luzon were intercepted by our inspectors assigned at the airport," said Provincial Veterinarian Renante Decena, co-chair of the Provincial Task Force on ASF.
He added that the task force, along with airport personnel, immediately disposed the confiscated products by burning them.
The pork asado siopao transported from Metro Manila cost about P8,000.
Dr. Ryan Janoya, head of Animal Health and Meat Inspection Services Division of the PVO, said this is the first confiscation since the pork ban was implemented.
Janoya said the consignee of the product, who is from Bacolod City, decided to "surrender" the confiscated items.
"These can actually be returned back to the source but the consignee chose the products to be disposed here," he added.
Decena said the confiscation and condemnation of the products are based on the ongoing 90-day temporary ban of pork products from Luzon
The temporary ban, implemented on September 11, is one of the province's measures to ensure the safety of the P6-billion swine industry of Negros Occidental.
It was implemented days after the Department of Agriculture (DA) confirmed positive cases of ASF in Luzon, particularly in farms of Rizal and Bulacan.
The ban covers live pigs, pork, pork products and by-products from Luzon, whether fresh, processed, or canned which can carry the ASF virus.
"The confiscated pork asado siopao from Luzon can be a carrier of the virus," Decena said, adding that it can be contagious and can bring harm by contaminating the animals.
He pointed out that though the virus does not harm people, it can threaten the swine industry.
Decena stressed the need to be proactive in order to protect the local swine production, even if the province remains ASF-free,
He also urged cooperation from the public, especially passengers traveling to the province, to report possible entry of pork products from Luzon.
Port personnel in the province were already deputized as members of the tracker team, the provincial veterinarian added.
Negros Occidental is among the top producers of swine in the country according to the Philippine Statistics Authority.