Piñol seeks deferment of NMIS transfer to DOH

Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel Piñol is set to issue an executive order deferring the implementation of a circular that transfers the functions of the National Meat Inspection Service (NMIS) to the Department of Health.

“I will recommend to the President the signing of an EO within the week that will hold the implementation of the circular. We are already in the process of drafting (the EO),” Piñol said.

The Philippine Association of Meat Processors Inc. (PAMPI) has requested Piñol, Health Secretary Paulyn Ubial and Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea to push back the implementation of Joint Administrative Circular 2 issued by former Cabinet officials last June 29.

Prior to stepping down, former Agriculture Secretary Proceso Alcala and Health Secretary Janette Garin signed the circular to implement the provisions of the Food Safety Act, which proposed the transfer of the supervision and regulation of processed and pre-packaged meat products from NMIS to the DOH-Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

“The effect is that the approval of their permits would be delayed because FDA has no enough manpower and no expertise to really handle what the NMIS does,” Piñol said.

“There is no compelling reason why they should rush it. We even wrote a letter to the two former secretaries to allow the new and incoming administration to review whether this is really a good move,” PAMPI executive director Francisco Buencamino said.

PAMPI, which counts among its members the largest meat processing companies, said production cost could escalate since it would need to coordinate with two departments.

“There will inevitably be increase in prices (of processed meat products), of at least 10 percent at the minimum,” Buencamino said.

PAMPI said even the US Department of Agriculture was baffled at the move because meat regulation in the US remains with the USDA.

“Why transfer the function that you’ve been doing for many years now? It’s always been the NMIS and the FDA does not know what to do. FDA admitted that it is not ready to absorb the regulatory functions of the NMIS on pre-packaged processed goods,” he said.

At an average, companies pay P2,000 per product line for product registration at the NMIS but PAMPI said it might soar to as much as P25,000 under the FDA. Major meat processing companies have approximately 500 to 800 lines of products.

Unless straightened out, PAMPI said the meat processing industry will have to confront another bureaucratic layer and might cause the shortage of processed meat products such as hotdogs, hams, and bacon among others.

PAMPI said the implementation of RA 10611 and the formulation of the implementing rules and regulations (IRR) were delayed due to the objections raised by several entities.

“Yet the former secretaries have resolved to implement RA 10611 much ahead of the prescribed period of implementation starting February 2017,” the group added.

PAMPI is composed of 52 members which account for more than P300 billion in annual sales and provide direct and indirect jobs and livelihood to some 300,000 Filipinos.