DA urges consumers to buy meat inspected by Nat'l Meat Inspection Service

The Department of Agriculture on Wednesday urged the public at large to buying meat and meat products that have been inspected by the National Meat Inspection Service (NMIS) after some farms in Rizal were placed under quarantine due to a “suspected disease.”

“We also urge consumers to remain vigilant when buying meat and meat products which should be duly inspected by the DA National Meat Inspection Service,” Agriculture spokesperson Noel Reyes said during a press conference in Makati City.

The DA through its attached agency, the Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI), is conducting joint monitoring activities with the Philippine National Police and Local Government Units in managing, containing and controlling the spread of infected pork and pork products, particularly from the Rizal area.

Under the security protocol, the BAI has set up quarantine checkpoints in areas within a 1-kiliometer radius of infected farms—monitor the movement of live pigs, pork and pork products. While the department has not mentioned the African Swine Fever, Taiwan has placed the Philippines on the list of areas with high risk of ASF.

Starting Monday, August 19, Filipinos traveling to Taiwan underwent stringent inspections at the airport and other ports of entry.

The Central Emergency Operation Center said the measure is a move to guard against the spread of African swine fever ASF, according to a report by Taiwan News.

During the press conference on Wednesday, Reyes noted that all pigs found to be sick of the “suspected disease” have been culled.

The BAI is conducting surveillance procedures that require testing animals to determine the extent of infection and limit animal movement within a 7-kilometer radius, Reyes noted.

Under Protocol 1710, the BAI has set up quarantine checkpoints in areas within a 1-kiliometer radius of infected farms—monitor the movement of live pigs, pork and pork products. While the department has not mentioned the African Swine Fever, Taiwan has placed the Philippines on the list of areas with high risk of ASF.

Reyes noted 1710 is automatically implemented when there are threats of “major economic diseases” in swine and cattle as determined by the World Organisation for Animal Health or Office International des Epizooties (OIE).

ASF is one of the 14 major economic diseases.

Aside from African swine fever, the other major economic diseases are:

• foot-and-mouth disease

• rinderpest

• contagious bovine pleuropneumonia

• sheep pox

• goat pox

• peste des petits ruminants

• highly pathogenic avian influenza

• Rift Valley fever

• Newcastle disease

• classical swine fever

• equine encephalitidies

• under certain circumstances rabies

• brucellosis

Within the 10-kilometer radius area, the BAI is implementing a mandatory disease reporting of farm owners, he added.

In line with the protocol, the BAI is urging hog raisers to improve their biosecurity measures and stop feeding their animals with swill or kaning-baboy, according to the DA.

To contain the ‘disease’ from spreading, Reyes said the DA strongly requires veterinary health certificate, shipping permit, and meat inspection certificate for the trade and movement of live animals.

The private sector stakeholders have given the assurance that no infected live pig or pork products have so far been able to slip from areas under Protocol 1710, according to the DA.

The department is encouraging the public to contact government veterinary offices and report unusual mortalities of pigs in their respective areas.

They could also reach DA’s hotline: 0995 132 9339 and 0920 854 3119.

Three barangays in Rodriguez, Rizal have been undergoing quarantine measures after some 100 hogs died in the area, its Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office said on Tuesday. —VDS, GMA News