Alarm aired on imported pork being made ‘etag,’ execs, DTI urged: Probe

By Gina Dizon

SAGADA, Mountain Province – “Imported” meat is feared that it will be used to make “etag,” the cultural delicacy used in rituals now made commercial.

A resident said etag made from “imported” meat is easy to spot with its shiny and even slab cuts rather than the locally made one with uneven cuts, rough and showing some black smoke smudges.  

Early this year, pork from other countries namely  Belgium, China, Hungary, Latvia, Poland, Romania, Russia and Ukraine were banned from reaching the Philippines.

Netizens from the Save Sagada Facebook group urged the Dept. of Trade and Industry and local officials to check imported pork feared to have come from other countries hit with swine fever.

Local businessmen in this tourist town said pork called "pingping" is bought in Baguio City reportedly bought from the National Capital Region.

With this, locally raised swine is put at a disadvantage of not being bought as "pingping" is cheaper than local pork. 

Julie Pasiteng, a businesswoman who manages a restaurant said local swine raisers are now pleading to her that she buy their pigs.

Pasiteng, during the Women’s Month celebration last March 10 here said there is a surplus of swine in town being bought from other places like Baguio.   

Residents here said they feared “pingping” bought from Baguio might come from banned pork from other countries hit with swine fever.