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MANILA, Philippines - The Bureau of Customs is reshuffling personnel in two of the country's billionaire ports to appease local hog raisers who have threatened a five-day 'pork holiday' because of government's failure to address frozen meat smuggling.
Citing a recent meeting with the Department of Agriculture (DA) and hog raisers, Customs Commissioner Rufino Biazon said they agreed to modify some of the clearance procedures with regards frozen meat products.
“We moved positively after the meeting to hold back the planned pork holiday,” Biazon said.
He said a revamp of the entire unit that handles the processing of fruit and vegetable imports at the Port of Manila (POM) and at the Manila International Container Port (MICP) is underway.
“My order is to revamp the whole Section 1-A of the POM and the MICP. They saw it as a positive development,” he said, referring to hog raisers.
Local hog raisers alleged that the smuggling of frozen meat products takes place by channeling such goods to Section 1-A, which is mandated to handle and process only imported fruits and vegetables.
Biazon said the Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI) and the National Meat Inspection Service (NMIS) can now recommend the seizure of illegally imported frozen meat products.
“I pointed out that in the Customs clearance process, the BAI and the NMIS play a crucial role. Under DA Administrative Order 26 which prescribes the rules and regulations on the procedure of meat importation, it is very clear that they play a major role,” Biazon said.
The BAI quarantine officials can recommend to Customs the confiscation of imported meat products in cases of incorrect declaration, he said.
Under AO 26, importers are required to secure a Veterinary Quarantine Clearance from the BAI. The said document will, among others, state the source of the imported frozen meat products, and whether such goods are free from any contamination and diseases.
Only after the documents are in order can the imported products be cleared by Customs.
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