Group urges gov't to speed up construction of food inspection facilities

Tugon Kabuhayan, a group advocating for food security, called on the government to fast track the building of food inspection facilities in the Philippines' major ports to make sure imported food products are safe.

The group made the statement during an online forum, which was prompted after news reports divulged the supposed excessive use of antibiotics in China's fish farms.

“Overuse of antibiotics can lead to the development of drug-resistant superbugs in the long run," said Atty. Asis Perez, Tugon Kabuhayan convenor and former director of the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources.

"This is a food safety concern that needs to be addressed since we import from countries like China. We must emphasize that we shouldn’t discriminate in terms of inspection and testing," he added.

"All imported fish and other food items, for that matter, should be tested for antibiotics and diseases, regardless of their country of origin,” Perez said.

“We cannot risk our people consuming possibly contaminated imported fish and other food products,” Perez added.

The group also asked the Philippine Ports Authority to recognize the urgency of building border inspection facilities such as the Agriculture Commodity Examination Area (ACEA).

“We commend the DA (Department of Agriculture) for allocating budget for the border inspection facilities, but we hope other agencies like the Philippine Ports Authority would approve it with dispatch,” Perez said.

“The industry is always ready to support government’s initiatives , especially when it comes to food safety, in any way it can. In the absence of first border inspection, perhaps the government can consider accrediting third-party testing centers to do the job,” he added.

Tugon Kabuhayan said the country imported almost P9 billion worth of fish, mollusks and aquatic invertebrates from China in 2019. --Consuelo Marquez/NB, GMA News