THE Zamboanga City Government has reminded the implementation of Executive Order 500 pertaining to food safety and veterinary quarantine procedures in light of the reported Asian Swine Fever (ASF) cases in Davao Occidental.
Executive Order (EO) 500 orders the strict implementation of Administrative Order 04, reiterating the food safety and veterinary quarantine procedures. It was issued by Mayor Maria Isabelle Climaco-Salazar on September 18, 2019.
Based on the EO, the Licomo and Labuan Composite Checkpoints, the Philippine Ports Authority, including the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (Caap) shall prohibit the transportation and bringing to Zamboanga City of all animals, meat and meat products without a veterinary health certificate (VHC) issued by a licensed veterinarian and shipping permit (SP) issued by the Bureau of Animal Industry, or its regional veterinary quarantine offices.
The City Health Office (CHO) is likewise tasked to prohibit hotels, restaurants and other food establishments from selling their kitchen refuse, food wastes and swills to any individual or groups in the city.
Salazar said these establishments are directed to properly dispose the waste materials in coordination with the CHO, Office of Environment and Natural Resources and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources.
The EO also directs the City Slaughterhouse and all private slaughterhouses in the city to "prohibit accepting live animals in to the slaughterhouse premises without the VHC and those coming from adjacent provinces or regions shall also present SP."
On Thursday, February 6, Salazar said the composite team of health and quarantine personnel confiscated a cargo of processed meat without VHC and other documents at the Zamboanga International Airport.
She said the cargo has been condemned and properly disposed. (SunStar Zamboanga)