Ensuring Strong and Continuous Border Control

DA-Caraga Regional Executive Director Abel James I. Monteagudo and BFAR-Caraga OIC-Regional Director Dr. Nilo S. Katada visited on Friday, April 16, 2021, the composite checkpoint at Pulang Lupa, Trento, Agusan del Sur.

Both heads of agencies joined the assigned teams on the inspection of all shippers of agri-fishery commodities. Looking back to two years ago, the border control inspection at Pulang Lupa enforced stricter measures as Caraga Region prepared to face the threat of African Swine Fever (ASF). Today, as ASF continues to challenge the livestock industry, the inspection activities at the Pulang Lupa border has become stringent than ever, now with the inclusion of fishery and aquatic products. To date, BFAR-Caraga has issued a total of one hundred seventeen (117) Local Transport Permits, and inspected one hundred fifty-seven (157) incoming and outgoing fish trucks/reefer vans in the region.

Apprehensions were also made to one (1) shipper, while three (3) were denied entry and were advised to return to their origin, due to some violations committed.

Commonly transported fishery commodities are the following: frozen tuna products, skipjack and yellow-fin tuna, round and big-eyed scad, milkfish, flying fish, tilapia, shrimp, and pompano, among others.

As we gear towards food security, the border control measures also ensure that the food products entering our jurisdiction are free from any diseases and fit for human consumption.