Down Prices of pork products have gone down following the ASF outbreak. ROMAN PROSPERO

The Cavite province has lifted the ban on the sale and distribution of processed pork products following consultations with officials of the Department of Agriculture, Department of the Interior and Local Government and the Department of Trade and Industry.

Gov. Jonvic Remulla issued Executive Order (EO) 34 dated 24 October 2019 to adopt the guidelines and recommendations set by Agriculture Secretary William Dar, making Cavite the first province to break away from a group of 65 provincial governors who fell for allegations by hog raisers that processed meats could infect their pigs with African swine fever (ASF).

“Processed meats are not listed as ASF carriers. The allegations are false and imaginary,” the Philippine Association of Meat Processors Inc. said in a statement.

Remulla’s order is considered credible as Cavite is the only province in the Philippines which has earned excellent management certification under ISO 9001-2008. The ISO certification means that Cavite has an effective leadership governance which is widely accepted by constituents throughout the province.

“Canned goods and processed pork products may be transported as long as the same is authorized by the FDA and other concerned government agencies,” Remulla said.

He added that “all hotels, restaurants, eateries, cafeterias, canteens, fast food chains and other food establishments shall be prohibited from selling or giving their leftovers or spoiled food to hog raisers” as the feeding of swill or food wastes to the pigs in the province is strictly prohibited.

Swill feeding is suspected to have caused the first outbreak of ASF in Rodriquez town in Montalban, Rizal. It is listed by animal disease experts as among the major causes of ASF transmission, the others being transmission from infected animals, ticks and flies and contaminated premises, vehicles, equipment and clothes.

Both World Organization for Animal Health or OIE and Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI) have confirmed that processed meats when cooked at a temperature of 70 degrees Celsius for 30 minutes cannot spread the ASF virus because in case it is present, the virus is killed at such temperature.

While EO 34 lifted the ban on the sale and distribution of processed pork products, it still prohibits the transport of live pigs, fresh or frozen pork, unless cleared by BAI or the National Meat Inspection Service.

64 provinces still impose arbitrary ban on processed pork products from Luzon. Only the provinces in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao did not impose the ban as most of its population don’t eat pork.