IN early October, 21 container vans loaded with frozen mackerel arrived at the Manila International Container Port. The government confiscated the shipment because it lacked the necessary sanitary and phytosanitary import clearances (SPSICs).
IN early October, 21 container vans loaded with frozen mackerel arrived at the Manila International Container Port. The government confiscated the shipment because it lacked the necessary sanitary and phytosanitary import clearances .
The previous storms may have been a major factor behind the decision of the government to allow relief agencies, including the Department of Social Welfare and Development , to use the seized items, in their bid to beef up the state’s emergency food supply. The shipment that did not have SPSICs amounted to 580 metric tons or 580,000 kilograms of mackerel.
The government assured the people that the frozen mackerel has been tested and has been found to be safe for human consumption. This would give recipients the confidence that the products, while illegal because it did not carry the clearances required by the government, will not make them ill and that it will not pose a threat to the local farm sector.
However, the government has yet to tell us how it intends to distribute these items and how it could feed people affected by natural disasters, whose houses may have been submerged in flood. As a rule of thumb, donated food items must be easy to consume and are “shelf-stable.” Frozen mackerel would require storage facilities that would prevent spoilage and maintain the quality of the food item.
We hope that there is a viable plan in place that will enable the state to immediately distribute seized frozen food items and smuggled goods to residents in areas struck by typhoons and other natural calamities. Policymakers should also see to it that all contraband items targeted for distribution are tested to ensure their safety, and that safeguards are in place to prevent unscrupulous individuals from taking advantage of this development.
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