Dar and Moreno lead “pork challenge” boodle fight to show public that pork is still “safe to eat”

Agriculture Secretary William Dar and Manila City mayor Isko Moreno lead a “boodle fight” of lechon and other pork dishes on Monday, Sept. 30, 2019 amid the public scare on African Swine Fever. (Photo courtesy Department of Agriculture)

 

(Eagle News) — Agriculture Secretary William Dar and Manila Mayor Isko Moreno led a “boodle fight” and on the menu are various pork products on Monday, September 30, 2019 to show to the public that pork products are safe to eat.

The boodle fight was dubbed the “pork challenge” and was held in Moreno’s turf in Manila. It was also participated in by the Samahang Industriya ng Magsasaka (SINAG) Chairman Rosendo So.

In his message, Dar thanked the city mayor for his actions against the trading of illegal meat products in the city.

“If we have local government leaders like Mayor Isko, then the problems affecting the hog industry, particularly containing and controlling the African Swine Fever (ASF) will be easily resolved,” the agri chief said.

Based on current reports, the number of pigs that have been culled and depopulated in the country was raised to 20,000 heads.

Dar said that “majority of the pigs were from Bulacan,” but there were also some hogs affected in Pampanga.

-More areas with ASF reported-

More recently, even Pangasinan culled more than 70 pigs as the ASF had also reached the province due to the transport of pigs from Bulacan there.

Another ASF-affected area was Quezon City where three barangays had reported positive ASF blood samples from affected pigs. These are in Barangays Bagong Silangan, Payatas and Tatalon.

Amid the ASF scare, Manila mayor Moreno urged the public to continue to support the local hog industry.

He said the Manila city government would also be relentless in going after illegal activities involving the importation and reselling of meat products that are supposedly to be disposed.

Dar said that the partnership between the Department of Agriculture and the City of Manila “will step up further.”

He also expressed his support for the establishment of state-of-the-art and functional slaughterhouses in the city of Manila.

The city government will also establish a Kadiwa ni Ani at Kita to sell major agricultural goods at reasonably low prices to help poor Filipino households in the city.

“Buy local. Help local particularly agri products and meat products. The more we support them, the more it will be cheaper,” Moreno said.

Moreno also said the agriculture products from North Luzon are still welcome and can still consider the city as their selling point. He said he allows selling of products from Sagada, Benguet, and Nueva Ecija until night time.