DA to ask police help against meat smuggling

PORK BAN. The entry of pork supply in Cebu will be allowed only if this comes from the island or from African swine fever-free areas. But the delivery or supply has to come with a veterinary health certificate, shipping permit and certificate of laboratory issued by the Bureau of Animal Industry, veterinary quarantine clearance, compliance as a breeder, and sanitary and phytosanitary import clearance. (Sunstar File)
PORK BAN. The entry of pork supply in Cebu will be allowed only if this comes from the island or from African swine fever-free areas. But the delivery or supply has to come with a veterinary health certificate, shipping permit and certificate of laboratory issued by the Bureau of Animal Industry, veterinary quarantine clearance, compliance as a breeder, and sanitary and phytosanitary import clearance. (Sunstar File)

THE Department of Agriculture in Central Visayas (DA 7) will soon tap the Philippine National Police to boost surveillance in checkpoints as reports of a new modus operandi of smuggling meat surfaces in nearby regions.

According to Daniel Ventura, DA 7 focal person on the African swine fever (ASF), meat smugglers would try to sneak in meat by transferring it to a private vehicle.

“If there are checkpoints, they transfer the meat to private vehicles so they can go through. These are processed meat products. Some smugglers were intercepted somewhere in Samar, Leyte but here in our region, we are very strict so we hope we can catch those who really want to smuggle in the meat,” he said.

Ventura said if the meat was indeed not infected, why would the handlers bother to transfer it to private vehicles just so it could pass the checkpoint.

He clarified Central Visayas remains ASF-free and assured the agency’s partnership with backyard raisers is on track especially in preventing the entry of ASF.

Ventura urged the public’s cooperation to report smuggling cases to agencies such as the National Meat Inspection Service and the local veterinary offices.

“Stakeholders should be informed immediately of the products being smuggled in,” he said.

Meanwhile, local chief executives who have not heeded the order to lift the ban they had imposed on pork products amid the outbreak of ASF were asked to see President Rodrigo Durterte on Tuesday, Feb. 25, 2020.

But Cebu Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia has stood pat on her directive to ban the entry of live hogs, pork-related products, byproducts and commingled food products from the entire island of Mindanao for a period of 90 days.

Aside from the 90-day total ban on pork from Mindanao, separate measures, issued earlier, indefinitely ban the entry of live hogs, pork-related products, byproducts and commingled food products from Luzon, Davao Region and Eastern Visayas.

The governor reiterated that Executive Order (EO) 8 that expands the ban and prohibits all airports, seaports and other gateways in Cebu from allowing the entry of the abovementioned products will also remain in effect.

Under its zoning plan, the DA has classified the Philippines into zones with respective protocols to regulate the movement of pork and pork products around the country.

It has color-coded areas based on the extent of the ASF infestation.

The DA’s latest mapping showed that Luzon and Mindanao are now red zones, meaning that these are now ASF-infected.

Cebu Province is a dark green zone, which means it’s ASF-free.

Commingled products are also still banned.

Entry of supply will be allowed only if this comes from Cebu or from ASF-free areas. But the delivery or supply has to come with a veterinary health certificate, shipping permit and certificate of laboratory issued by the Bureau of Animal Industry, veterinary quarantine clearance, compliance as a breeder, and sanitary and phytosanitary import clearance.

“Everything’s good about this because we are duly identified and the colors correspond to the degree of contamination, or existence even of the ASF. Because of the series of executive orders that we have issued and because I have continued to stand firm on our position, ASF has not invaded Cebu. Cebu continues to be ASF-free,” Garcia said on Monday, Feb. 24, 2020.

“The DILG (Department of the Interior and Local Government) provincial director has listed several mayors, governors, including Region 7 because none have lifted (their ban). I read the message. It was very respectful, from the Office of the President. We may send a representative if we are unable to make it,” she added. (JOB, RTF)

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