La Loma lechons back on sale as ban lifted
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Pork lechon vendors at the Lechon Capital, La Loma, remain unaffected by the African Swine Fever (ASF) outbreak, with stalls operating normally on Thursday, 15 August, 2024. However, entry of livestock, poultry, and meat products into Manila is delayed due to checkpoints set up across Metro Manila. This is part of a joint operation by the Department of Agriculture's Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI), the National Meat Inspection Service (NMIS), and the Philippine National Police (PNP) to contain ASF. ASF is a highly contagious and fatal viral disease affecting both domestic and feral swine of all ages. The provincial government of Batangas has recently declared a state of calamity due to the ASF spread.
King Rodriguez
The local government of Quezon City announced Thursday that it has lifted the temporary ban imposed on 14 lechon shops in La Loma after confirming the establishments are now free of the African swine fever (ASF) virus.
To recall, the local government had ordered the temporary closure of the shops several weeks ago after they were affected by ASF. The businesses conducted daily disinfection of their facilities for one week with the aid of the City Veterinary Department and the QC Health Department.
“The local government is pleased to report that there is no longer any ASF virus in the 14 lechon establishments in La Loma, Quezon City,” the local government said in a statement.
In addition to the disinfection, the 14 establishments were instructed to comply with all necessary sanitary, safety and health protocols.
The shop owners had previously expressed concern that the closure order came at a critical time amid the scheduling of numerous Christmas parties.
“Feeling back to normal operation soon and confident to have safe lechons in coming holidays,” Kap. Maca of Ping-Ping Litson store told DAILY TRIBUNE regarding the lifting order.
Three of the establishments had already received lifting orders and were permitted to resume operations after complying with regulations set by the City Health and City Veterinary departments.
The city government stated it will continue to assist business owners to ensure they comply with all protocols and maintain the quality of products sourced from La Loma.
