ROXAS TO BFAD, DTI: ENSURE MILK SUPPLY EVEN IF CHINA MILK BANNED
CALLS FOR TESTING AND CERTIFICATION OF REPACKED MILK IN WET MARKETS

Liberal President Senator Mar Roxas called on the Bureau of Food and Drug (BFAD) and the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) to ensure the availability of safe, affordable milk to the public as they are implementing a temporary ban on potentially contaminated milk from China.

The Chairman of the Senate Committee on Trade and Commerce also challenged the said consumer welfare agencies to test and certify unlabeled, repacked milk bags that are being sold to mass consumers in the wet markets.

"Kailangang siguruhin ang kaledad ng gatas na binibili ng ating mga mamimili para sa kanilang mga anak. At nanigurado na nga tayo sa pamamagitan ng pag-ban ng gatas mula sa Tsina na posibleng kontaminado," he said.

"Meanwhile, the implementation of this ban should not affect the supply of milk available to the public, particularly to poor families who buy in small quantities. Kaya itong mga 'tingi' na gatas na ibinebenta sa mga palengke na walang tatak, dapat siguruhing ligtas din ang mga ito," he said.

The former DTI Secretary explained that the temporary ban on the importation and sale of milk products from China should not disrupt the availability of safe and affordable milk in the market. He said milk importations from China are only a small portion of total Philippine milk importations, the bulk of which is sourced from New Zealand, the United States and Australia.

Of total Philippine milk importations worth $446.7 million, milk from China is only 1.2% ($5.3 million). More than 80% of imported milk by value is from New Zealand (almost 50%), United States (17.6%) and Australia (13.2%).

"Puwera na lang kung lumabas na 'smuggled' pala ang karamihan ng murang gatas na ibinebenta sa merkado. Kung ganoon pala karami ang lumulusot sa merkado natin, may mga ahensiyang kailangang managot dito," he said.

Roxas said the availability of milk is important as it is key to ensuring the nutrition of children, especially among the poorest of the poor. "If affordable milk in the palengke�assuming that this is legitimate and safe�suddenly disappears, we might be facing a malnutrition disaster."

"Ito ang dapat sagutin ng BFAD at ng DTI: itong 'repacked' na gatas ba, na binebenta sa mga palengke, ay ligtas ba at dumaan sa maayos na sertipikasyon? Saan at papaano nire-repack ang gatas na ito?" he said.

"Dapat talagang kumalat na ang mga 'palengke teams' ng DTI, kasama ng mga field inspector ng BFAD, para inspeksyunin ang ibinebentang gatas sa mga palengke. Kung kailangang tatakan isa-isa para mapanatag ang loob ng mga mamimili, e di tatakan ang mga ito nang isa-isa kung ligtas ba o hindi," he said.