To demonstrate the rigid processing of all meat products importations the Bureau of Customs (BOC) has adapted to ensure that only properly documented imported meat are able to get through Customs gates, BOC Commissioner Ruffy Biazon today led the countrys local hog and poultry raisers to a walk-through on imported meat release facilitation procedures at the BOC.

According to Biazon, he invited the local hog and poultry raisers to the walk-through to enable them to understand the various levels of check and counter-check measures Customs officials are undertaking prior to the release of imported meat products, to ensure that only legally imported meat are released.

We handle the entry processing of imported meat products with utmost speed, care and attention as we know that these items have to get to the market as soon as possible, even as we also have to ensure that these are all properly documented, their corresponding taxes paid, and most importantly, these are still fit for human consumption, Biazon said.

In showing the tight and tedious processing of entries for all meat importations, Biazon explained in detail, the entire entry processing procedures from the receipt of entries by the Entry Processing Unit (EPU), to the electronic verification of the shipments criteria like, whether it should be processed under the yellow or green lane, to the document examination, 100% physical examination, if necessary and value determination all the way up to the shipments release.

We would like to make the local hog and poultry raisers understand the measures we have already put in place to contain meat smuggling, especially at this time of the year when attempts to sneak illegally imported meat into the country happen the most, he added.

The local hog raisers have earlier blamed the unabated smuggling of meat products for their predicament saying that the oversupply and dumping of cheaper imported meat in the local market is killing the countrys hog raising industry.

However, in an earlier media forum by the Customs Press Corps, Department of Agriculture Assistance Secretary for Livestock Dave Catbagan said, the DA allows only the importation of meat offals, hence the alleged over importation of meat products could be far-fetched.