Portugal offers to help stop ASF

MANILA, Philippines — A non-resident ambassador of Portugal has offered to help the Philippines eradicate African swine fever (ASF), which has been pestering the local hog industry.

Maria Joào Falcào Poppe Lopes Cardoso made the offer to Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez during a courtesy call at the Manila Golf and Country Club on Wednesday.

Aside from offering to help fight ASF, Cardoso also expressed her country’s willingness to open its doors to Filipino workers.

“These propositions are of great mutual interest to both countries,” Romualdez said, noting he committed to endorse the matter to concerned agencies for appropriate action.

Cardoso, who is Portugal’s ambassador to Indonesia and Brunei, said experts from her country are willing to travel to the Philippines to share their knowledge in eradicating ASF.

She said Portugal is one of only two countries in Europe that have successfully eradicated ASF.

Meanwhile, Ramon Garcia Jr., Portugal’s honorary consul in Manila, said a pork producers’ group in his country is willing to send two experts who will train personnel of the Bureau of Animal Industry in eradicating ASF.

Garcia said that Portuguese technology firms are willing to establish headquarters in the Philippines.

Cardoso said a majority of Portuguese firms, particularly those involved in technology, are interested in doing business in the Philippines.