(PORK FIESTA. Gov. Dennis “Delta” Pineda with his wife Yolly and mayors of Pampanga enjoy feast of lechon and other pork dishes at the Bren Z. Guiao Convention Center Tuesday to show the public pork is safe to eat in the midst of the African swine flu scare. Photo by Bong Lacson)
CITY OF SAN FERNANDO— Guaranteeing that pork meat and processed pork products from Pampanga are “safe to eat,” Gov. Dennis “Delta” G. Pineda and meat industry leaders led a boodle fight where 3,000 people feasted on 60 roasted pigs and plates of tocino, sisig, and asado on Tuesday.
“We are eating viands of pork to show to our provincemates and fellow Filipinos that our pork and meat products in Pampanga are safe to eat,” Pineda said before beginning the countdown to the boodle fight.
Dr. Eloisa Vidar, Department of Health coordinator, said the African swine fever (ASF) does not transfer to humans. Buying from reputable sources and cooking food well are among the safety precautions to get safe meat, she said.
Toto Gonzales, spokesperson of the Pampanga Swine Producers Association said their group “remains vigilant and active in dealing with the challenge of ASF to be able to protect our industry and the consuming public.”
Gonzales said the PSPA has been more alert against ASF after Agriculture Secretary William Dar announced there “were ASF-infected zones” in Pampanga. Backyard farms in Apalit, Candaba, and San Simon that are at the boundaries of Bulacan have reported culling their pigs at slightest signs of ASF.
“No hog farms are infected so far,” he added.
He expressed concern for PSPA’s 65 members who directly employ 1,000 workers while the farm gate prices dropped to an all-time low of P40 to P50 per kilogram of live meat.
The losses amount to a minimum of P50 million per farm.
Gonzales said PSPA members agreed to a “total lockdown” since Monday at the instruction of the Department of Agriculture to protect uninfected hogs.
Reildrin Morales, a member of the DA Crisis Management Team, clarified that lockdown meant “elevated quarantine movement.”
(MEKENI FOODS. Processed pork products like sausages, tocino, longganisa for which Pampanga is known for, as well as dimsum are also enjoyed by local officials led by Gov. Dennis Pineda during the festival. Photo by Bong Lacson)
Mekeni Foods CEO Prudencio Garcia, who spoke on behalf of the Pampanga Association of Meat Processors, said the group’s 15 members have “enough supply of imported meat from ASF-free countries.
Garcia said 56 out of 86 provinces have banned the entry of processed meat products, resulting in 20 to 30 percent decrease in sales.
If sales do not pick up, he said 4,000 employees of their group are threatened to be out of work.
“As we don’t feed our families with sick meat, we also don’t want our consuming public to be fed the same,” he said, guaranteeing the safety of their products.
