Angara asks government to ‘fast-track’ to high-technology clearing system

Former Agriculture Secretary Edgardo Angara yesteday asked the Arroyo administration to "fast-track" the high-technology clearing system for agricultural imports which initiated late last year to put in place a "formidable, responsive, cyber detection system" against meat imports contaminated with mad-cow and foot-and-mouth disease (FMD).

Angara, a leading senatorial candidate of the LDP-PnM, said the tools of high-technology should be tapped in the fight to shield the country’s seaports and airport against the entry of meat infected with mad-cow or FMD, two deadly contagions now crippling whole livestock and hog industries in Europe.

Angara said that late last year, the Department of Agriculture signed a memorandum of agreement with the Bureau of Customs and other agencies to put up an Electronic Clearing System for all Philippine agricultural imports. The idea was to provide a one-stop shop for clearing imports, a move designed to help Philippine processors and manufacturers that have to import part of their material requirements, he added.

Angara said the high-tech, one-stop-shop for clearing agricultural imports can also be used as a "quick-response" mechanism in the detection, seizure and destruction of meat contaminated with mad-cow and FMD.

"The electronic clearing system, while designed to primarily help agricultural importers reduce their costs and boost their operations, can also serve as a vanguard against diseased meat shipments, mad-cow and FMD in particular," Angara said in a press statement.

Angara ordered the ban on the importation of beef and beef by-products from Europe as early as November, after receiving an advisory from the Paris-based international office that monitors outbreaks of animal diseases around the globe.

The Office des Epizootes reported the outbreak and Angara promptly ordered the ban on European beef imports. The Bureau of Animal Industry was also ordered by Angara to stop processing all import papers for European beef.

Angara has endorsed the summary destruction of contaminated beef to prevent what he calls the "national nightmare" over infected beef.