₱200k fine for anyone who will be caught carrying meat products into the Philippines
The African Swine Fever, also known as the swine flu is an international threat that had affected countries all over the globe.
The Philippine government is strictly implementing a preventive measure by not allowing pork products (processed or unprocessed) to enter the country. This includes meat products from China, Vietnam, Hongkong, Macau, Cambodia, Belgium, Russia, Ukraine, Bulgaria, Hungary, Czech Republic, Latvia, Moldova, Poland, Mongolia, and in Eastern Europe.
OFWs returning from a foreign country are not allowed to bring canned pork products with them to the Philippines. The OFWs are also not allowed to put canned pork products in their balikbayan boxes. If not followed, at the confiscation of the illegal meat products, the guilty citizen will also be asked to pay a fine of 200,000 Php.
Government Agencies like the Department of Agriculture, Bureau of Animal Industry Veterinary Quarantine Office and the National Meat Inspection Service will be cooperating with the Bureau of Customs in implementing the precautionary measures of the African Swine Flu-entry in the country.
The restriction is not only for OFWs but for all the people who will be entering the country and those who will be sending packages to the Philippines.
According to the secretary of the Department of Agriculture, Manny Pinol, it is not true that the Quarantine Officers are asking for money in return for the easy smuggling of the illegal pork products to the country.
Pinol also said that the African Swine Flu is a real threat worldwide and the Philippine government is doing all it can to prevent it from entering the country and that it will be best for all the Filipino citizens to support and obey all the precautionary measures provided to them by the government.
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