Siopao worth P1.1M intercepted in Bacolod, returned to Cebu

BACOLOD CITY –– A truckload of siopao worth P1.1 million was intercepted at the Bacolod Real Estate Development Corp. Port and was sent back to Cebu.

Dr. Ryan Janoya, head of the Animal Health and Meat Inspection Services Division of the Provincial Veterinary Office, said the container van loaded with 51,840 pieces of siopao was prohibited from entering the city because of a 90-day ban on pork and pork products from Luzon.

The shipment came from Mandaue City, Cebu but the documents showed that the manufacturing address is in Quezon province. The Provincial African Swine Fever Task Force sent back the shipment to Cebu.

On Wednesday, the task force passed a resolution stating it would continue implementing fully the 90-day ban on pork and pork products processed in Luzon from entering Negros Occidental.

The task force said any premature lifting of the ban would pose serious and irreversible damage to the P6-billion swine industry of the province./lzb