PASSENGERS traveling to and from Davao City are discouraged from bringing pork products, even those cooked, inside the Davao City Overland Transport Terminal (DCOTT), an official said.
DCOTT head Aisa Usop said Monday, October 28, that this is line with an executive order released on September 25 by Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio, temporarily banning all live pigs and pork products from Luzon and other areas affected by African Swine Fever (ASF) to ensure that the city remains free from ASF.
The order applies to all live pigs, pork and pork-related products and by-products, whether fresh, frozen, processed or cooked, including but not limited to frozen boar semen, from the entire island of Luzon and the other ASF-affected areas. It also includes the prohibition of feeding of raw swill or food wastes, also known as "lamaw" in the dialect, to pigs in Davao City.
This is in response to the continued spread of ASF in many countries causing massive economic losses and social dislocation.
Some parts of Luzon, in September, were confirmed to be penetrated with the virus, causing massive culling of hugs, affecting livestock raisers in the area.
"Sa maong executive order, apil na didtoa ang mga naluto na. Ginabawal gyud siya. Maong awhag nato sa atong mga pasahero nga likayan na lang sa gyud ang pagbaon og mga products, nakadelata ug mga nakaluto, aron dili ta maharang inig inspeksyon (It is clear in the executive order that even those cooked products are prohibited. That is why we are encouraging our passengers to avoid bringing items with pork in it, either in canned items or cooked, so that we won't be barred during the inspection)," Usop told SunStar Davao in a phone interview.
She said they are closely coordinating with the City Veterinarian's Office (CVO) to ensure no passengers will be using buses to secretly transport pork and its by-products without possessing necessary documents from rightful agencies.
"We already had a meeting with the bus operators, wherein they were given the signed executive order," Usop said.
She said passengers must present a Veterinary Health Certificate and Animal Inspection Certificate to the bus driver and conductors before they will be allowed to transport their items. She also said this applies to other meat such as chicken and beef.
"Especially those gikan sa laing municipality na dad-on diria sa siyudad sa Davao, kinahanglan magpakita gyud sila og papeles (They should be able to present these documents, especially those coming from nearby municipality that will be transported here in Davao City)," Usop said, adding that failing to comply would have their items confiscated.
The DCOTT official also said CVO officials will also be deployed in the terminal entrance along with the Task Force Davao in monitoring the
passengers' baggage, as they would be asked to pass through the x-ray baggage machine and walk through scanner machine.
CVO Cerelyn Pinili previously said they will be deploying quarantine personnel who will be manned 24 hours in three checkpoints in the city: Sirawan in Toril, Lacson in Calinan, and Lasang.
She also said they are also monitoring buses traveling from Luzon, a hotspot area of the virus.
Meanwhile, Usop said they will also be strict in transporting of endangered species.