NMIS-12 tightens watch against ASF

KORONADAL CITY -The National Meat Inspection Service (NMIS) in Region 12 has tightened its monitoring against the entry of pork meat products from other regions, especially from areas that could have possibly been affected by the African Swine Fever (ASF) in Luzon.

Dr. Myrna Habacon, NMIS-12 director, said Monday that they assigned enforcement teams to monitor the movement of live hogs and pork meat products in the region’s border areas as well as the local markets.

Habacon said members of Bantay Karne teams are strictly monitoring the selling of meat and slaughtering of animals.

The enforcement teams are tasked to ensure that meat products sold at the public markets and other outlets are safe and processed at accredited slaughterhouses, she said.

Habacon said all animals, especially hogs, processed in slaughterhouses or abattoirs should have proper meat inspection certificates.

“We have already advised the meat cutting plants that if they have doubts or find animals with suspected diseases to immediately isolate them and report the matter to their supervisors for proper action,” she said.

To prove that they are selling meat safe for public consumption, she said they mandated meat vendors to display the inspection certificates in their stalls.

Habacon reminded the local government units to always conduct inspections and issue proper certificates for all meat products.

“If the meat is from the local government slaughterhouse, even if it is not accredited, the meat inspector must issue the certificate,” she said.

Dr. Charlemagne Calo, head of the Koronadal City Veterinary Office, said they will put up quarantine checkpoints starting this week at the city’s entry points.

“Before the declaration of the outbreak by DA (Department of Agriculture, we already come up with preventive measures here in the city,” Calo said

Large farms in the city and adjacent towns were already informed about their plans last week through official notices, he said.

“The quarantine checkpoints will strictly implement the ‘no veterinary health certificate, no entry’ policy,” Calo said.