Cebu City seizes pork products from ASF- affected countries

CEBU, Philippines —  The Cebu City Department of Veterinary Medicine and Fisheries (DVMF) has confiscated from supermarkets and convenience stores food products that contain pork ingredients from African Swine Fever (ASF) positive countries.

“Kani siya mostly sa mga supermarkets, naa sa’y partly sa mga convenience store, naa sa’y mga Korean stores. Kani sila gipangkuha nato kay supposedly dili ni siya naka-display,” said Dr. Jessica Maribojoc, DVMF officer-in-charge.

Maribojoc said these products are mostly from China, and some other countries like South Korea, Vietnam, and Indonesia.

“Kana man gud sila nga countries na akong gihisgot sainyoha karon kay positive na sila og ASF, so dapat dili jud na sila (products) ma-display para mapakaon sa atoang mga consumer,” she explained.

Maribojoc said these products will be disposed through incineration.

She said this is the third batch, having a total weight of 64.5 kg amounting to almost P100,000, which is set to be incinerated.

DVMF started with such operation last June 2021.

Maribojoc said around 350 kg of products worth P400,000-500,000 were previously incinerated from the first two batches of confiscated items.

She said that the disposal should be through incineration because the suspected ASF-positive pork ingredients, if only disposed by dumping or burying, could last in the soil for years.

“Mostly man gud sa Cebu City is mga nagbuhi man jud og baboy, mostly mga backyard breeders so kung mapakaon man gud ni (confiscated products) nato ang sobra sa atoang mga binuhing baboy, isa na siya sa way na maka-ASF ang atoang baboy,” said Maribojoc.

“Mao nang dili jud siya angay nga atoang ibaligya kay naay tendency man gud na naay access ang atoang binuhi dinhi nga baboy o maski kato ganing mga ipanglubong, mo-last siya sa soil og pila ka years, two and a half years so dapat dili jud siya. Ang baboy is hilig man mag-dig, so naay tendency na makaon to niya or makakuha siya. Way of acquiring na sad sa infection sa ASF… Kailangan jud nato siya i-burn, i-incinerate para totally ang virus wala ta’y trace na makit-an,” she added.

Maribojoc is urging the consumers to inform their office in case they encounter stores displaying Korean and Chinese products containing pork ingredients, so that the DVMF could confiscate these.

She vowed that the DVMF will continue this operation for Cebu City to remain ASF-free. — JMD (FREEMAN)