Online pork meat, products

sellers: present NMIS docs

TAGBILARAN CITY, Bohol, Oct 13 (PIA) –By this week, online dealers of pork and pork products who could not show proper documents of where their products were sourced out, would have their products confiscated and still be liable of P1,000 to P5,000 fine as well as imprisonment of not more than six months or at the discretion of the courts.

This also includes transport carriers of these illegally shipped products to Bohol would have the products confiscated and the driver, pilot or captain themselves would be fined P5K, even if it is for allowing the loading of such prohibited products.

This as Bohol Sangguniang Panlalawigan passed Provincial Ordinance No. 2022-011, last September 13, the Ordinance revising Provincial Ordinance No. 2021-015 which prohibits the entry of live pig, pork, pork products, frozen semen coming from African Swine Fever affected areas and providing penalties thereof.

Aptly called the Revised Bohol African Swine Fever Prevention Ordinance of 2022, the revised ordinance now carries penal provisions, administrative proceedings as well as the Implementing Rules and Regulations in the furtherance of the policy.

“This is also to protect the consumers who may not know where the meat they are buying online comes, or did it pass through the proper government regulations in meat safety,” briefs Bohol Provincial Veterinarian Dr. Stella Marie Lapiz, in the sidelines during the National African Swine Fever Prevention and Control Program (NASFPCP) ASF Preparedness Private Stakeholders Meeting held at the Panda Tea Garden Suites earlier this week.

Republic Act 9296, or the National Meat Inspection Code of the Philippines declares it as a state policy to prevent the entry of disease-carrying animals into meat establishments and ensure the safety and quality of imported meat and meat products, the multi-awarded provincial veterinarian said.

At least, they have to keep the NMIS documents on the meat they are selling, or we get them for violations of the law and the ordinance.

Since the time of the restrictions during the pandemic, the online market has been alive, several of the products sold include pork trimmings, pork jowls and pork ham, the sellers of which do not engage when asked where their meat supply comes from.

Since May 25, 2021, Bohol has officially imposed the ban on the entry of live pig, pork, pork products and frozen semen from areas affected by the ASF, via Provincial Ordinance 2021-015.

Section 3.1 of the revised ordinance says, transporting, carrying, possessing or importing live pig, pork, pork products, frozen swine semen, swine feeds and processed porcine animal proteins in whatever quantity coming from or passing through ASF affected areas to the territorial jurisdiction of Bohol by any person has been prohibited.

It also bans the entry of livestock and poultry carriers coming from and passing through ASF Affected areas, and they are only allowed until the port premises for the purpose of transferring live animals and other related cargoes not prohibited under section 3.

With this, all inbound shipping, airline, transport companies and courier services shat ensure that live pigs, pork and port products whether processed or cooked, frozen swine semen and swine feeds from affected areas are not loaded in their vessels.

And as for travelers who may have innocently brought these to Bohol, upon disembarkation, receptacles where inbound passengers can voluntarily discard of these prohibited products are placed before reaching the veterinary quarantine stations at the port.

Moreover, any prohibited products which are not voluntarily surrendered or disclosed prior to or upon disembarkation are confiscated on sight, disinfected and burned immediately.

And for the port authorities to work, the revised ordinance also provides that the Provincial Government and the Collecting Municipal Local Government Unit share equally on the share of the proceeds of the administrative charges. (RAHC/PIA-7/Bohol)

FAIR WARNING TO COURIERS. With the revised Bohol ASF Prevention Ordinance, couriers, transport vehicles like commercial buses, shipping lines and airplanes, drivers, busboys, captains and pilots can now be fined for allowing the loading of illegally shipped pork and pork products if they can can not present valid shipping documents for their consignments, said Provincial Vet Dr. Stella Marie Lapiz. (RAHC/PIA-7/Bohol)

WE CAN GET YOU FOR POSSESSION. Possessing, selling or transporting pork and pork products without NMIC permits and seals can be a ground for confiscation of products and imposition of stiff penalties in violation of the law and the ordinance, said National African Swine Fever Prevention and Control Program (NASFPCP) officials during the ASF Preparedness Private Stakeholders Meeting held recently at the Panda Tea Garden Suites. (rahc/PIA-7/Bohol)