NAIA officials find pest in mangoes from Thailand

MANILA, Philippines - Officials of the Bureau of Plant Industry discovered Wednesday that seized mangoes from Thailand were infested with pests that attack the fruit's seeds. Last Saturday, BPI personnel stationed at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) seized the illegal cargo containing the fruit. Laboratory tests showed that the confiscated mangoes were attacked by mango seed or nut weevil (sternochaetes mangiferae), said Luben Marasigan, officer in charge of the BPI Plant Quarantine Services Unit at the NAIA. According to Marasigan, the pest which attacks mango seeds has not been discovered in any kind of native Philippine fruit. He added that the seed weevil usually thrives in mangoes that were grown in Indonesia and Malaysia. "The (mango) specimen we tested at the laboratory showed the presence of the insect, which has patches on some portions of its head and wings and has a snout used to pierce through seeds," Marasigan told GMANews.TV in a phone interview. The shipment arrived in the country from Bangkok, Thailand, on board a Kuwait Airlines flight KU-411 last March 22. Initial investigation showed that a certain “Mr. Garcia" owned the cargo, he added. The mangoes, weighing around 275 kilograms, were found inside six boxes and two suitcases that were left near the airport's conveyor. NAIA’s customs officials held the cargo because it did not have proper importation documents. Marasigan said that all imported plant products and materials must have a clearance from the BPI as prescribed by the Agriculture Department's Administrative Order Number 18, Series of 2000. Aside from mangoes, plant products from and materials for growing citrus fruits, sugar cane, and bananas are covered by the DA order. A phytosanitary certificate that should be issued by the country of origin is also required before the shipment is allowed to pass through customs officials. For burning After slicing open some 800 confiscated mangoes, Marasigan discovered eight pieces to be carrying pests either in their larval, pupal, or adult stages. The mangoes will be burned on Friday, he added. "Nagpadala na ako ng letter sa director namin requesting na sunugin na yung mga mangga by (Friday) morning siguro (I have sent a letter of request to our director, asking for the immediate burning of the mangoes)," Marasigan said. He said that had the cargo been allowed to pass through, the pest could definitely pose a threat to the local agriculture industry. "We have reminded all our personnel and officials to be vigilant with incoming articles, especially mangoes, so that we could immediately dispose them," he said. - Mark Merueñas, GMANews.TV