June 11, 2012

Philippines' hog, poultry raisers doubt Customs official on import manifest

By refusing to provide them and the Agriculture Department with copies of the inward forward manifest (IFM) containing details of imported items and their ports of origin, the Philippine hog growers and poultry raisers on Wednesday (June 6) said Customs Commissioner Rufino Biazon might be unwittingly protecting smuggling syndicates.

The hog and poultry raisers have been complaining about what they describe as the continuing smuggling of meat and poultry that they say is killing their industry.

"The [Agriculture Department] needs these IFMs to check if the cargo [is legal or smuggled]," said Abono chairman and Swine Development Council director Rosendo So.

"Without the IFM, inspecting the reefer vans would be like looking for a needle in a haystack. But up to now the Bureau of Customs has deliberately refused to provide the [department] copies of these IFMs," So said.

But Biazon said it was not his agency that was tasked to provide the manifests.

"If So's group wants to get copies of the IFMs, they have to ask the shipping company and not our office," Biazon said.

"IFM is a document. What I'm offering is their direct participation and oversight. We have been urging So's group to send their representatives to help us examine imported meat, but they have not been listening."