Iloilo City mulls permanent ban on pork from Luzon

By: Emme Rose Santiagudo

The Iloilo City Veterinarian Office plans to extend or make permanent the 90-day temporary ban on pork and by-products from Luzon amid the African Swine Fever (ASF) outbreak.

City Veterinarian Dr. Tomas Forteza said they will recommend the extended ban on Luzon pork to protect the city’s meat sector.

“Mahatag kami recommendation kon paano ma-extend ang ban. We have to look into the industry because we feel that it is very important,” Forteza said in an interview Tuesday on the sidelines of the Media Interaction on Animal Health organized by the Department of Agriculture (DA) 6.

According to Forteza, they spotted pork products from Mindanao and Cebu but were manufactured in Luzon being displayed in the markets and supermarkets in the city.

“There are possibilities nga makasulod bala kay kadam-an nga products nakit-an namon are from Mindanao and Cebu but this products bal-an namon nga based in Luzon so we still have to verify,” he said.

Forteza said they will coordinate with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) investigating the pork products.

He said they will have to check the papers and documents particularly the meat inspection certificate and license to operate.

Last October, Mayor Jerry Treñas signed an order imposing a 90-day temporary ban on the entry of live pigs, hog carcasses, pork, pork products, and by-products from Luzon.

The city government also hired additional 40 personnel to compose the Task Force ASF and monitor markets and barangays in the city.

While the city remains ASF-free, Forteza said they will continue to monitor the pork and meat-products in the city especially that regions are being used as transit point of pork products from Luzon.

“One company, naga-account 40 percent sang ila gross sales pork based so it has really a very big impact sa ila in terms of this. These are people driven… this is not about one but we have to protect the industry, kon maapektuhan ang industry, maapektuhan man even sila,” he stressed.

Even if the city extends the ban of pork products, Forteza said there is enough supply or pork in the metro especially in the holidays.

In fact, there is a surplus from local meat producers, he added.

“Surplus kita sa baboy. Before this problem came up, naga-ship kita sa Cebu and Luzon that’s why the price now dropped because may oversupply kita actually,” he said.

Forteza urged consumers to patronize local meat products especially ham.

“Indi na tani sila magpasalubong anay sang pork products from Luzon especially ham. Locally sourced lang anay,” he said.

The plan of the City Veterinarian to extend the ban received support from the Officer of Veterinary Quarantine in the Western Visayas.

“If they will be able to extend this one, the veterinary quarantine will support it because we don’t want ASF getting into the region,” Regional Veterinary Quarantine Officer Dr. John Rhoel Hilario said.

According to Hilario, their office already confiscated and disposed 7,000 kilograms of meat and meat-products from the airports and seaports in the region.

Based on data from the Regional Veterinary Quarantine Office, the hog industry in the region is valued at P7.69 billion with a total hog population of 1,250,681 heads as of January 1, 2019.

Out of this number, 1,109,815 heads (89%) are backyard hog population while 140,866 heads are in the commercial sector.