Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. has requested the Bureau of Customs (BOC) to release 580 metric tons of frozen mackerel that arrived at the Manila Port early last month for government aid relief efforts following the recent typhoons.
In a statement released Sunday, the Department of Agriculture (DA) said Tiu Laurel requested the release of the seized mackerel — found to be fit for human consumption by the National Fisheries Laboratory — to the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD).
“Consequently, the fish products are deemed fit for immediate release and can be utilized to address food security needs, especially in relief operations,” the secretary said.
“This initiative would support the DSWD and the Department of Agriculture’s ongoing efforts to provide essential aid to victims of the recent typhoon,” he added.
The Philippines has been hit by a succession of cyclones: Nika (international name: Toraji), Ofel (international name: Usagi), and Pepito (international name: Min-Yi), displacing at least 167,798 individuals and leaving at least 13 persons dead.
Estimated to be worth P178.5 million, the mackerel shipments were confiscated from 21 container vans that arrived at the Manila International Container Port in early October without the required sanitary and phytosanitary import clearances.
Laboratory tests by the National Fisheries Laboratory Division of the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) confirmed that the fish is fit for human consumption, with no signs of spoilage or contamination. —Jon Viktor Cabuenas/RF, GMA Integrated News
