ILOILO – The holiday season is also a time to be vigilant of food products. The Provincial Veterinary Office (PVO) is warning Ilonggos coming home to avoid bringing pork or pork products, especially if they were from areas hit by the African swine fever (ASF).
PVO confiscated 162 kilograms of pork products between November and December this year for violation of Provincial Ordinance No. 2021-250 (ASF Prevention Ordinance), banning livestock transport carriers and hog vans from entering this province without disinfection certificate and/or ASF-free certificate from their points of origin or ports of exit.
“Buligi man ninyo kami nga maproteksyonan ang aton probinsya nga indi kita pag-iguon sang ASF,” said Dr. Darel Tabuada, head of PVO.
Western Visayas remains ASF-free.
The provincial ASF ordinance also bans live pig, boar semen, pork, and pork products, including food items containing pork, originating from, manufactured, and/or processed in areas affected by ASF.
Here are some of the items intercepted by PVO at the Iloilo Airport (Cabatuan) and the ports of Dumangas and Estancia: hamonado, longganisa, pork ham, bacon, kikiam, chorizo, pork chicharron, pork barbeque, pork dinuguan, powdery pork with seaweed, pork lumpia shanghai, and glazed ham.
These products were incinerated in Pototan, Iloilo on Dec. 13.
Tabuada said an increase in confiscation was due to the easing of pandemic restrictions.
“Damo na makasulod sa Iloilo. Nagdaku man ang frequency sang confiscation naton and considering nga Christmas season subong,” said Tabuada.
PVO is also monitoring pork products sold online, he added.
Tabuada said the following penalties await a person caught transporting pork and pork products from ASF-affected areas:
* first offense – P2,000 or five-day imprisonment
* second offence – P3,500 or 10-day imprisonment
* third and subsequent violations – P5,000 or 15-day imprisonment./PN
