G/SPS/N/PHL/428  
 
19 December 2018  
(18-8020) Page: 1/3 
Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures  Original: English  
 
  
NOTIFICATION OF EMERGENCY MEASURES  
1. Notifying Member:  PHILIPPINES  
If applicable, name of local government involved:   
2. Agency responsible:  Department of Agriculture  
3. Products covered (provide tariff item number(s) as specified in national 
schedules deposited with the WTO; ICS numbers should be provided in addition, 
where applicable): Buffalo meat  
4. Regions or countries likely to be affected, to the extent relevant or  practicable : 
[ ] All trading partners  
[X] Specific regions or countries: Punjab, India  
5. Title of the notified document: Department of Agriculture Memorandum Order No. 36 
Series of 2018 , Temporary Suspension of Accreditation of ALM Food Products Ltd 
(APEDA  #195) and M irha Exports Pvt Ltd (APEDA #125) in Punjab, India as Exporter of 
Indian Buffalo Meat to the Philippines . Language(s): English.  Number of pages: 1 
https://members.wto.org/crnattachments/2018/SPS/PHL/18_6502_00_e.pdf  
6. Description of content: The Order temporarily suspends the accreditation of  ALM Food 
Products Ltd (APEDA # 195) and Mirha  Exports Pvt Ltd (APEDA #125), as well as the 
processing, evaluation of the application and issuance of Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) 
import clearance of the aforementioned commodity. Intensified inspection of documents 
and shipments of all meat importa tion from India by DA -BAI Veterinary Quarantine 
Officers at the ports will be conducted, along with a more rigorous and tight inspection of 
all arrivals of Indian buffalo meat products from India by DA -NMIS Plant Officers assigned 
at DA accredited cold sto rage warehouses.  
7. Objective and rationale: [X]  food safety, [X]  animal health, [  ] plant protection, 
[ ] protect humans from animal/plant pest or disease, [  ] protect territory from 
other damage from pests.  
8. Nature of the urgent problem(s) and reaso n for urgent action: The European Union 
Reference Laboratory for Foot and Mouth Disease (EURL FMD) reported an outbreak of 
FMD in zoo animals in Punjab on February 2018 and there is a need to prevent the entry 
of FMD -susceptible products originating from P unjab, India, and for regulatory controls 
through Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) measures to protect human and animal health.  
9. Is there a relevant international standard? If so, identify the standard:  
[ ] Codex Alimentarius Commission (e.g.  title or serial number of Codex 
standard or related text) :  
[X] World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) (e.g.  Terrestrial or Aquatic 
Animal Health Code, chapter number) : Chapter 8.8 of the OIE Terrestrial 
Animal Health Code 2018  G/SPS/N/PHL/428  
 
- 2 - 
 
  [ ] International Plant Protection Convention (e.g.  ISPM number) :  
[ ] None  
Does this proposed regulation conform to the relevant international standard?  
[X] Yes   [  ] No 
If no, describe, whenever possible, how and why it deviates from the 
international standa rd:  
10. Other relevant documents and language(s) in which these are available:    
11. Date of entry into force ( dd/mm/yy )/period of application (as applicable): 
15 November 2018  
[ ] Trade facilitating measure  
12. Agency or authority designated to handle comments: [X]  National Notification 
Authority, [X]  National Enquiry Point. Address, fax number and e -mail address 
(if available) of other body:  
Department of Agriculture (DA)  
Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI)  
Office of the Director  
Policy Research Se rvice 
Department of Agriculture  
Elliptical Road, Diliman  
Quezon City  
Tel: +(632) 926 7439  
Fax: +(632) 928 0590  
E-mail: spspilipinas@da.gov.ph  
 
or 
 
National Veterinary Quarantine Services  
Bureau of Animal Industry  
Visayas Avenue, Diliman  
Quezon City  
Tel: +(632) 920 0815  
Fax: +(632) 920 0916  
E-mail: nvqs_bai@yahoo.com  
 quarantine_bai@yahoo.com  G/SPS/N/PHL/428  
 
- 3 - 
 
  13. Text(s) available from: [X]  National Notification Authority, [X]  National Enquiry 
Point. Address, fax number and e -mail address (if available) of other body:  
Department of Agriculture (DA)  
Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI)  
Office of the Director  
Policy Research Service  
Department of Agriculture  
Elliptical Road, Diliman  
Quezon City  
Tel: +(632) 926 7439  
Fax: +(632) 928 0590  
E-mail: spspilipinas@da.gov.ph  
 
or 
 
National Veterinary Quarantine Services  
Bureau of Animal Industry  
Visayas Avenue, Diliman  
Quezon City  
Tel: +(632) 920 0815  
Fax: +(632) 920 0916  
E-mail: nvqs_bai@yahoo.com  
 quarantine_bai@yahoo.com