MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Agriculture (DA) assures that pork and poultry products are sufficient to supply the consuming public until the year end and through the first quarter of 2021.

In a report to Secretary William Dar, the DA’s National Livestock Program (NLP) said that more than 213,500 hogs from Visayas and Mindanao have been shipped to Metro Manila and nearby provinces since May 2020 to augment the supply of pork and pork products.

“We sincerely thank our hog raisers and their respective local government officials in the Visayas and Mindanao for promptly heeding our call to transport their hogs to Metro Manila and thus ensure the supply of pork this holiday season and onto January 2021 and beyond,” said Secretary Dar.

With the imposition of quarantine and lockdown due to Covid-19 and incidence of African Swine Fever (ASF) in Luzon, Secretary Dar directed the respective DA regional directors in Visayas and Mindanao to coordinate with swine raisers so they can facilitate the transport of their hogs to Metro Manila and ease up the tightening supply and prices of pork.

Additional supply of pork during the holidays and onto next year is expected as hog producers in General Santos City gear up to increase shipments to Metro Manila and other major markets in Luzon. 

As for poultry supply, DA-NLP Head and Undersecretary for Livestock William Medrano said the country has enough until next year.

“We have also surplus supply of poultry meat, with an inventory of 43,345 MT of frozen dressed chicken as of first week of December, 46% more than last year’s level,” Usec. Medrano added.

Overall, despite the pandemic and ASF, he said there was a slight increase in the total volume of pork and chicken compared to 2019, according to DA-NMIS data.

The Department of Health (DOH) has urged the public to limit family reunions this holiday season to prevent a surge of COVID-19 cases.

DOH Secretary Francisco Duque III said it is better to conduct reunions at home rather than in public areas like restaurants.

He also suggested doing an online reunion, instead, for the safety of every family.

“May Zoom, Webex, iba ibang platform. Online mass [gathering], huwag na punta sa mga lugar na maraming dumadalong mga mamamayan dahil tumataas risk contracting COVID-19 (There is Zoom, Webex, and other platforms. Online mass gathering is better, don’t go to crowded places since it would increase the risk of contracting COVID-19),” Duque said.

Meanwhile, the Healthcare Professionals Alliance Against COVID-19 (HPAAC) also reminds families to continue practicing minimum health safety protocols during the holiday season.

HPAAC member Dr. Antonio Dans said it is better to meet up in open or well-ventilated areas and to limit interactions with other people.

“The shorter the time the better, 30 minutes or less […] keep it to a minimum. Ang recommended ng WHO at CDC keep it to 15 minutes (The recommendation of the WHO and the CDC (Center for Disease Control and Prevention) is to keep it to 15 minutes),” he said. AAC (with reports from Joan Nano)

The Philippines dominated the Conde Naste Traveler’s (CNT) list of top islands in Asia.

Cebu and Visayas Islands have been named among Top Island in Asia while Palawan, Siargao, and Boracay ranked fourth, fifth, and sixth, respectively.

The Department of Tourism (DOT) Secretary Bernadette Romulo Puyat said it will be a challenge for the department to continue advocating sustainable and responsible tourism practices that will help preserve these destinations.

“This latest citation from CNT gives us in the Department of Tourism (DOT) a boost of confidence, as we continuously carry out our strategies to gradually reopen domestic tourism, to once again welcome travelers from other countries when things become better,” she said. AAC