QUICK: have you heard this one? "God created the world. ... And the rest was made in China."
Okay, this joke seems funny at the beginning. Now it turned to be a cornball. Perhaps even deadly.
Even governors have entered into the picture. Cebu Governor Gwen Garcia has extended the ban on the entry of pork and pork-related products from Luzon and African Swine Fever (ASF)-affected countries until June 30, 2020. The same with the two Negrense governors.
Virtually, everything in the world is manufactured in China. While it used to be that gadgets, gizmos and other products were made in the US, Taiwan or a brand's home country -- whether class A counterfeit or the real thing in malls -- businesses are now outsourcing mostly to manufacturing facilities in China.
Pork is a huge deal in China. The country is home to half of all the pigs on the planet. The meat is a staple of the Chinese diet, which means its scarcity could damage China's social stability. The outbreak of swine fever also threatens to upend the global pork supply chain.
While Chinese authorities have already made plans to shore up the pig market -- including subsidies for pig farms and families who may struggle with soaring prices -- they're stepping up efforts to deal with the crisis.
In early October, the number of hog deaths due to ASF spiked to 36,000 as the affliction spread throughout the country.
Now we get this made in China pork-based brands that is Class F (Fear). More than a year after ASF began ravaging hogs in China (think popular Chinese meat loaves, cured Chinese hams and chorizos, bacons, pork siopaos), the virus may be escaping along the same route it's believed to have entered -- via Russia.
While the swine contagion has been present in Russia for 12 years, it's only been spreading actively in the country's Far East for the past few months. Russian authorities have reported almost 60 outbreaks in wild and domestic pigs, most within a few miles of the border with China.
In an apocalyptic forecast from the global animal disease watchdog, the World Organization for Animal Health warned that one in four of the world's pigs may die as a result of the latest outbreak of this deadly disease.
ASF is found in countries around the world, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa. More recently, it has spread through China, Mongolia and Vietnam, Philippines as well as within parts of the European Union. China's African pig disease will hit UK too.
On the other hand, this ASF pandemic might turn out to be a blessing in disguise. So long as the Negrense provincial governments keep a tight lead of the entry of pork outside the island, there will be a demand for pork-based products.
Time to switch to vegemeats even for non-vegetarians? Not so fast. There is still hope for Christmas 2019 and New Year.
One's bane can be a boon. The island can be advertised as manufacturers of ASF-free pork products. Proudly Negros Made.