PINOY PORK. Various processed meat products are on display during the opening of the National Meat Inspection Service (NMIS) Meat Safety Consciousness Week. It also launches the "Pinoy Pork is Safe to Eat" Awareness Campaign held at NMIS central office in Quezon City on Monday (Oct. 14, 2019). (PNA photo by Loretta Allarey Paje)
MANILA -- The country's meat processing industry on Monday reported losses of PHP50 billion due to the ban being imposed by some local government units (LGUs), particularly in the Visayas and Mindanao, on processed meat amid the outbreak of African swine fever (ASF) in some areas in Luzon.
According to the Philippine Association of Meat Processors Inc. (PAMPI), Visayas and Mindanao represent about 30 to 40 percent of total sales of processed meat products.
While the meat processing industry understands the need for the LGUs to protect their constituencies, Jerome Ong, PAMPI Vice President, urged that rules and restrictions being imposed "should be based on science and the expert advice of internally recognized Animal Health Organizations.”
Around 56 out of the total 81 provinces have imposed restrictions on the movement into their constituencies of Luzon-based pork processed meats.
With the shipping ban of pork and pork products imposed by LGUs in the country, the hog industry foresees the current losses of PHP50 billion could increase especially in the last quarter of the year or during the Christmas holidays.
PAMPI also sees “inadequate” supply of pork and pork-based products for Visayas and Mindanao this Christmas holidays despite Cebu and Cagayan de Oro having their ham production capabilities, as their total production will not be able to supply the needs of the region unless the ban on Luzon-produced pork-based processed meats is rationalized.
Meanwhile, the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) has ordered the lifting of the ban on processed meat being imposed by some LGUs.
"Nagpalabas na ako ng kautusan sa mga LGUs na hindi kasama yung processed meat lalo na kapag may mga FDA (Food and Drug Administration) certification (and/or) approval (I have already ordered the LGUs that processed meat should not be included in the ban especially if these have FDA certification or approval)," DILG Secretary Eduardo Año said in a radio interview on Monday.
"Hindi kasama yan (processed meat) kasi na-certify na yan na safe yan. Ang raw meat ang ating kina-quarantine (Processed meat should not be included in the ban as these were already certified safe. Only raw pork is being quarantined)," he added.
PAMPI officials earlier appealed to the Department of Agriculture (DA), the Department of Health (DOH), the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), and the DILG to craft policies and regulations as one body.
“While the DA, the DOH and the DTI have drafted rules and regulations to govern the dynamics of the businesses relevant to this, we are seeing the difficulty in getting their rules and directives followed -- because final implementation lies in the LGUs,” Ong said. (PNA)
