Enough pork for Christmas

CEBU, Philippines — There is enough supply of pork meat and other pork products in Cebu City for the Christmas holidays.

This is the assurance of City Department of Veterinary Medicine and Fisheries (DVMF) Assistance Head Jessica Maribojoc, amid an ongoing cross-border restriction of hogs from neighboring Negros island due to African Swine Flu (ASF) fears that the Cebu Provincial Government has imposed.

Maribojoc said around 50 tons of pork meat and other pork products are expected to be sold in the city’s markets during the holidays and locally-sourced and pork from Bohol are enough to meet the need.

She said the city started accepting live hogs from Bohol two months ago after its authorities lifted its ASF restrictions.

“We are expecting gyud karun nga siguro maintain lang kay due to the number of hogs nga ga-arrive sa siyudad sa Sugbo kay nagka-source man ta og baboy gikan sa Bohol,” she said over the City’s Public Information Office Sugboanon Channel.

Live hogs supply from Bohol was stopped last April after three barangays in the municipality of Dauis recorded ASF cases. But now, Bohol currently remains under the “light green” zone, as classified by the Department of Agriculture.

The presence of a National Meat Inspection Service (NMIS) AA-accredited abattoir or slaughterhouse in Cebu City had also helped to ensure that live hogs imported from other areas in the country are accepted here.

Such an accreditation from the NMIS also allowed the processing of meat and meat products and selling them to other areas in the country.

The city currently has two AA private slaughterhouses, one for pork and another for poultry.

Even with that, though, Maribojoc said DVMF continues to strictly implement measures against ASF, including not accepting hogs from areas that have a history of ASF outbreaks.

“Ang atong gina-accept kay katong wala nay case o katong cleared na or ASF negative,” she said.

Maribojoc said the DVMF conducts daily inspection of meat and meat products being sold in public and commercial markets to ensure that they are safe for human consumption.

The NMIS Central Visayas has also assured that it is working closely with the Cebu City Government and other local government units to ensure that meat supplies are stable during the holidays.

NMIS 7’s Consumer Protection Division Focal Peron Hannah Lou Ejercito said her office also conducts regular inspections of meat processing establishments as a way to protect consumers from unscrupulous sellers.

She, however, asked the public to be vigilant when it comes to buying meat, including checking for the certificate of inspection that the NMIS 7 issues to meat sellers.

“Kini nga certificate o dokumento angay mokuyog sa mga karne. Nagpamatuod ni nga ang kaning karne, niagi og inspection sa atong mga meat inspectors nga trained,”Ejercito said. — (FREEMAN)