DA, SBMA to put up ‘first border control’ facility for agri, fishery imports in Subic

The Department of Agriculture (DA) and the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) have teamed up to put up an inspection facility for farm, fishery, and meat imports at the Subic Bay Freeport Zone, Zambales.

In a statement on Wednesday, the DA said it has agreed in principle with the SBMA to establish the country's first of the five planned "first border control facility” —the Cold Examination Facility in Agriculture (CEFA) in the freeport area.

With this, the Agriculture Department is targeting 100% inspection of farm, fishery, and meat products to ensure their quality, determine and confiscate misdeclared shipments, and more importantly prevent the entry of transboundary pests and diseases.

Agriculture Secretary William Dar said SBMA chairperson and CEO Wilma Eisma fully supports the proposal of the DA to construct and operate the Subic CEFA.

The DA said there was an earlier move to establish a CEFA at the Philippine Ports Authority (PPA) compound, at the Manila International Container Port (MICP), but negotiations are still ongoing between the DA-Bureau of Animal Industries and Department of Transportation-PPA.

The agency said it also plans to put up similar CEFAs in the ports of Batangas, Cebu, and Davao.

For the Subic CEFA, the DA said it proposes to use a 2,000-square meter lot at the freeport zone for 25 years, renewable upon mutual agreement.

“We thank SBMA chair and CEO Eisma for the smooth negotiations, pending approval of the SBMA Board, that will jumpstart the process of procurement. We wish to have the facility constructed as soon as possible,” Dar said.

Once operational, the Subic CEFA will be able to conduct full and thorough inspection of containerized agricultural commodities through risk assessment, complemented by x-ray screening of the Bureau of Customs (BOC), according to the DA.

This means all farm, fishery, meat and food imports will be subjected to 100% sampling and laboratory testing.

“The Subic Bay Freeport Zone is an ideal location because it is well-connected to the main Metro Manila highways,” Dar said.

“The CEFAs will initiate a new way of conducting first-border inspections, as well as host more thorough examinations, as you can open all arriving imports in one cold warehouse and have ample time to examine them,” he added.

The Agriculture department said the planned CEFA network—with a total P521-million fund allocation from the Office of the President—will be equipped with laboratories and manned by quarantine officers and technical staff from the DA bureaus of animal industry (BAI), plant industry (BPI), and fisheries and aquatic resources (BFAR), and National Meat Inspection Service (NMIS).

It said that each facility will feature controlled temperature systems that will capacitate quarantine officers to thoroughly inspect the contents of an identified high-risk containerized shipment and prevent the possible spread of hazardous biological agents, such as toxins, and radioactive elements carried by imported agricultural products.

The DA estimated that the Subic CEFA would earn at least P130 million yearly from testing and inspection fees.

Also, the construction and operation of the Subic CEFA and four other first border control facilities are expected to generate employment in the respective localities.

“In all, the completion of the CEFA network will be one of the major accomplishments of the Duterte administration, as global biosecurity and quarantine protocols are put in place and strictly implemented to keep the country's agriculture and fishery sector free from transboundary pests and diseases, and protect the health and welfare of Filipinos,” Dar said. — Ted Cordero/RSJ, GMA News