Bulacan vows to protect Metro pork consumers

MALOLOS CITY, Philippines – As the source of Metro Manila’s 60 percent pork requirement, Bulacan is set to rescue its thriving hog raising industry and protect consumers in the metropolis as Christmas draws near.

This came as police intercepted another vehicle transporting hundreds of kilos of “botcha” from Bulacan to Metro Manila last week.

The incident has alarmed the provincial government of Bulacan who is set to hold a dialogue with hog raising stakeholders to address issues concerning illegal trade of hot meat.

“We are holding a dialogue with local hog raisers and other stakeholders on Wednesday because we are duty bound to protect the industry and consumers alike,” said Gov. Wilhelmino Alvarado.

He said syndicates involved in the illegal trade of hot meat appeared to intensify their operations as the Christmas season draws near, as evidenced by police interception of hundreds of kilos of hot meat at the boundary of Sta. Maria town and the City of San Jose Del Monte, both in Bulacan.

Alvarado said that illegal activities of few individuals can cause great damage on the local hog raising industry which has been trying to rebound in the last three years.

Incidences of hog cholera and swine flu has hurt the local hog raising industry in 2007.

It was followed by the discovery of Ebola Reston virus in a commercial hog farm in Pandi town in 2008 that led to the culling of thousands of hogs; and while local hog raisers were still struggling to rebound from it previous loses, floods spawned by typhoon Ondoy damaged their farms in late 2009.

The governor said that protecting the local industry also means protecting consumers in Metro Manila as the province serves as source of at least 60 percent pork requirement of Metro Manila.

“We must secure that all pork from Bulacan and being distributed in Metro Manila are safe, otherwise, our local hog raisers will suffer,” he said.

The governor has also instructed Bulacan police to intensify its campaign against illegal hot meat trade by establishing checkpoints along the roads leading to Metro Manila.

He said they are planning to establish a laboratory in the province where tissue samples of animals suspected with disease can be examined and tested.