THE hog sector is urging the Department of Agriculture (DA) to push for the inclusion of a representative from the sector in the new antismuggling group created by the Office of the President (OP).

The National Federation of Hog Farmers Inc. (NFHFI) noted that while it welcomes the creation of the Presidential Anti-Smuggling Group (PASG), it was surprised by the lack of a representative from the private sector in the PASG.

“We welcome the decision of the President to create the PASG because that is what we have been asking. But we are surprised because the private sector is not included in the composition,” said NFHFI president Albert Lim Jr.

“Since we are the concerned sector that is always affected by smuggling, we should be included, so we can provide guidance to the PASG and pinpoint problems,” Lim added.

The NFHFI, together with other industries in the farm sector, has been vocal about the need to revive an anti-smuggling group under the OP. The previous National Anti-Smuggling Task Force (NASTF) included a private-sector representative.

Malacañang, through Executive Order 297 issued on March 10, 2004, created the NASTF, headed by then- interior secretary Angelo Reyes. Immediately after the presidential elections that year, the NASTF was abolished and its functions were transferred to the Bureau of Customs (BOC).

The new PASG was created by virtue of EO 624, and will be headed by former Santo Tomas, Pangasinan, mayor Antonio Villar Jr.

Under the EO, the PASG will tap members from the National Police, the Coast Guard, the National Food Authority, the Philippine Maritime Authority, the Philippine Ports Authority, the Philippine Navy, the Bureau of Food and Drug Administration, the BOC  and other agencies as determined by the PASG head.

The PASG has the power to adopt antismuggling measures and to conduct searches, seizures and arrests as provided by the Tariff and Customs Code of the Philippines and other related laws.

Lim said private-sector representatives, especially from the agriculture sector, should be included since they would know what to look for when authorities start conducting their searches.

The hog sector has been very vocal about the smuggling of farm products, such as pork, since the illegal entry of pork from countries infected with the foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) like China could damage government efforts to eradicate the dreaded disease and wipe out whatever gains of local producers.

The DA has earlier declared the entire Philippines free from FMD and is now in the process of asking the Office Internationale des Epizooties (OIE), or the Animal Health Organization, to certify the country as free from the disease.

A certification from the OIE would boost the Philippines’ chances of increasing its export of pork products to several countries worldwide.

THE hog sector is urging the Department of Agriculture (DA) to push for the inclusion of a representative from the sector in the new antismuggling group created by the Office of the President (OP).

ENVIRONMENT and Natural Resources Secretary Angelo Reyes on Monday ordered the transfer of the disposition of cancelled mining permits to the Philippine Mining Development Corp. (PMDC), a corporate arm of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR).

PETROLEUM product and liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) prices are expected to rise some more next month with the continuous surge in world and regional oil prices.

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