Negros Oriental 3rd District Rep. Arnolfo Teves Jr. yesterday pushed for the modernization of the Bureau of Customs (BoC) and even sought necessary funding to ward off the entry into the country of smuggled meat and meat products infected with African swine fever (ASF).

At a hearing of the House Committee on Agriculture and Food on the implications of ASF on the local swine industry, Teves specifically sought a “No X-ray, No Entry” policy.

“The Department of Agriculture (DA) has been saying that imported meat products are the carriers of ASF that reached the country. As such, why can’t we agree to have a modernized process in the BoC? That way, we can easily identify which imported products are safe,” the congressman said during the hearing.

“I have been campaigning this for a long time now and I don’t know why can’t we do that?” he added.

DA Undersecretary Ariel Cayanan said ASF was suspected to have reached the country through imported meat products from high-risk countries and perpetuated by swill feeding.

Cayanan said the dumping of dead hogs in waterways also helped spread the dreaded disease.

On Tuesday, Agriculture Secretary William Dar already threatened legal action against hog traders ignoring strict animal quarantine rules after it was confirmed that another site in Metro Manila was hit by the disease.

Meanwhile, Marikina Mayor Marcelino Teodoro yesterday declared the Marikina River safe for fishing again.

Teodoro made the announcement following findings issued by the Bureau of Fisheries, which verified that fishes caught in the river are safe for human consumption and are uncontaminated by the recent incidence of African swine fever (ASF).

A total of 65 pig carcasses had been retrieved from the Marikina River in the past weeks, with the first hogs surfacing on 12 September. This occurred, despite Marikina having no piggery or slaughterhouse.

“Based on the ASF virus analysis of the Laguna Lake Development Authority, Marikina River tested negative for ASF,” Teodoro said.

The Laguna Lake Development Authority (LLDA) took water samples from three stations namely, Circulo Verde in Pasig; at the boundary of Jesus de la Peña and Sta. Elena; and Bayabas Street in Barangay Nangka.

The clinical laboratory report given to the local government was signed by LLDA general manager Jaime Medina.

The Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) told Mayor Teodoro that the fishes in the city’s river are safe to eat.

The BFAR report showed that the level of pollutants in Marikina River rose, but not to the point that it went beyond the regulatory limit set by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

The BFAR tested the samples for the following: Staphylococcus aureus, E. coli, and Salmonella.

Due to this, the mayor met with around 300 Marikina River fishermen to tell them the good news — the lifting of the fishing ban.

“I lifted the fish ban based on the report conducted by BFAR. That served as the basis for my lifting the fishing ban. Fishermen and residents are now allowed to fish and swim in the river,” he said.

However, the probe to determine where the pig carcasses came from is still ongoing.