PAMPANGA acting Governor Dennis "Delta" Pineda has asked Department of Agriculture (DA) Secretary Emmanuel Piñol to exempt a bag manufacturing company from a reported ban on cow leather imports to prevent the layoff of some 16,000 workers.
Pineda coursed through House Speaker Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo his appeal for the exemption of Superl Philippines Inc. (SPI) from Memorandum Order No. 23.
The order, issued last August, places a temporary ban on the importation of domestic and wild pigs as well as products like pork meat and semen coming from Latvia, Poland, Romania, Russia, Ukraine and China to prevent the entry of African Swine Fever (ASF) in the Philippines.
However, the forwarding company of Superl has informed Director General Charito Plaza of the Philippine Economic Zone Authority (Peza) that an "abrupt ban" was imposed on 100-percent-treated cow leather "without prior notice" beginning January 24.
Super1 appealed the case because the Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) import clearance as well as orders were placed a year in advance.
"The order of Secretary Piñol is to ban pigs only. If even treated cow leather is included, the operations of Superl will stop and a lot of Kapampangans will lose their jobs," Pineda said.
Superl makes hand bags and wallets for international well-known brands. It has been operating its factory on an 8.5-hectare lot at the Angeles Industrial Park in Bacolor, Pampanga since 2012. The company spends P220 million in salaries, P20 million in workers' insurance, and P13 million for electricity every month.
Pampanga Third District Representative Aurelio "Dong" Gonzales Jr. was asked by Superl General Manager Ho Ming Fung to request "for the exclusion of SPI and its subsidiary for the rejection of SPS importation clearance for cow leathers."
Provincial Board Member Anianas Canlas, Jr. said Superl is in "no danger" of causing contamination since it is bringing in treated cow leather.
"Health safety is out of the question. What is in danger of being jeopardized is the regular employment of 16,000 workers," he said.
