Authorities in Negros Oriental tasked to prevent the entry and spread of the dreaded African swine fever (ASF), a contagious virus affecting pigs, have intercepted raw and frozen meat products from passengers at the Dumaguete-Sibulan airport.
The three passengers arrived here on board a Philippine Airlines commercial flight from Manila Monday morning, and were apparently bringing these items for “pasalubong” or presents, said Joseph Oderf Orellano I, the Quarantine Inspector assigned at the airport.
In an interview with the Philippine News Agency (PNA), Orellano said he noticed on the conveyor a styro-box, which he decided to inspect in the presence of one of the owners.
Orellano said the woman agreed to have the styro-box opened and he in the container frozen pork but without the necessary legal papers to accompany it, such as shipping permit and meat inspector’s permit from Manila.
He said he told the woman they had to confiscate these based on directives from the Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI) as part of preventive measures to contain the spread of the ASF virus.
The shipment included a total of 13 packs of pork loin ham, foot-long sausages, and marinated meat.
Warren Cadeliña of the National Meat Inspection Service-Region 7 (NMIS-7), who was also present during the confiscation, said meat that did not pass through a heating process is considered raw.
Dr. Alfonso Tundag, Provincial Quarantine Officer of the Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI) here, led and supervised the disposal of the confiscated pork and meat by-products.
The team cut up the packages and even the meat before pouring antiseptic all over them before they were buried in a safe area at the airport premises.
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Dr. Tundag told the PNA that while they are doing their best to secure the entry points in the province, it is disappointing to note that there are loopholes in the containment process that need to be addressed.
For instance, airports from where these passengers originate must also be strict in the inspection of these items passing through them, he said.
Airlines must also initiate measures to ensure that their passengers are aware of the government’s ban to bring pork meat and processed pork foods from Luzon.
To date, Negros Oriental and the rest of the Visayas and Mindanao areas remain free of the ASF virus.
A recent report announced that Mekeni pork by-products such as longganisa and tocino had tested positive of the virus, prompting the manufacturer to recall its products.
While the virus does not affect humans directly, people can be a source of its spread due to irresponsible disposal of packaging and other items that have come into contact with contaminated meat or processed foods with pork in it.
This is the third time that authorities have made interceptions at Dumaguete, the first one involving siomai (Chinese-inspired dumplings) and siopao (Chinese-inspired hot buns) with pork in it, at the Dumaguete airport. (Judy F. Partlow/PNA)
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