Photo Release

Border facility to inspect imported agri products: Sen. Imee Marcos, during Friday’s virtual hearing of the Finance Subcommittee B, October 22, 2021, on the proposed 2022 budget of the Department of Agriculture (DA) and its attached agencies, asks DA officials on the status of the department's project to establish four border facilities to prevent the entry of contaminated agricultural products such as pork, carrots, and other illegally imported goods. Marcos also noted that the local market has been flooded with imported pork products, from the previous 38,000 metric tons to more than 83,000 metric tons this year. She said this would contradict the programs of the DA to repopulate pork in the country. DA officials said of the P2 billion budget of the department's Bureau of Animal Industry, P521 million has been allotted for the establishment of the first-border inspection facility in Subic Bay Metropolitan area. They said all agricultural products that will arrive at the Port of Manila will be diverted to SBMA. Agriculture Sec. William Dar also explained that under the minimum access volume plus (MAV+), only 34,000 metric tons of imported pork products arrived the country and the rest were imported outside of MAV+. (Screen grab/Senate PRIB)