Manila Veterinary Inspection Board seized 25 tons of smuggled chicken meat, which tested positive for African Swine Fever or ASF after it inspected containers from China.
The ASF infected products include 988 boxes of chicken pot wrapped, 499 boxes of chicken with black pepper, and 199 boxes of popcorn chicken, all from China.
Manila Mayor Isko Moreno said the discovery of the cargo also led to finding the violations of Ecosafe Agro Products Manufacturing Fernando Cortez company located at Firstlink Container Yard, Harbour Center, Rd.10 Vitas, Tondo.
It also appears that the company has no permit for meat importation and cold storage.
The company will face charges related to its violations.
Also read: Chinese woman first case of 2019 novel coronavirus in the Philippines
Taal Volcano eruption victims in need of sacks to clean ashes
Authorities call the public to donate sacks for dumping ashes from the Taal volcano eruption.
“Sana mag-donate pa po ng mga sako, kailangang, kailangan po ng mga kababayan natin,” said Brig. Gen. Marcelino Teofilo, chief of Joint Task Force Taal.
(We hope more would donate sacks. Our fellowmen badly needed them.)
In an interview with DZMM Thursday morning, Teofilo said residents and police, soldiers, and coast guards assisting in cleaning up still needed sacks for collecting ash and sand from the ashfall.
The Taal Volcano ashfall affected towns and cities and Batangas, nearby provinces, and Metro Manila when it erupted on January 12.
He also clarified that all police and soldiers deployed as augmentation security forces would not be pulled out of areas affected by the volcanic eruption.
It was after President Rodrigo Duterte’s order on Wednesday to pull out the soldiers and police who had served as guards in towns near the volcano.