Gov’t tightens entry of balut, salted eggs

If you’re planning to import balut and salted eggs in large quantity from the Philippines, then you better think twice.

The Department of Lands and Natural Resources has recently imposed a new regulation limiting the number of balut and salted eggs that can be brought from the Philippines or other Asian countries. Each passenger can bring in only 12 baluts and 12 salted eggs.

According to Dr. Ignacio Dela Cruz, CNMI veterinarian, the restriction was primarily due to lack of manpower and equipment in the Quarantine Division to inspect huge quantities of these eggs which is meant to prevent the entry of hatching or viable eggs that may become the potential source of new diseases.

This regulation will have a tremendous effect on mom and pop stores where buyers, mostly Filipinos and Chinese, get their regular supply of balut and salted eggs.

“Our facility at the airport is not suitable to handle a situation in case viable eggs or hatching eggs enter the island for their disposal. It will become a problem to us since it will entail a lot of work such as cleaning and disinfecting,” said Dr. Dela Cruz. He noted that the recent outbreak of a disease in Australia which became the source of animal diseases.

During the time of former DLNR Secretary Benigno Sablan, the CNMI government imposed a total ban on the importation of these eggs in the Northern Marianas.

Meanwhile, Dr. Dela Cruz said the department will be working with the Legislature in coming up with a measures that will make the CNMI a rabies-free environment.

Gov. Pedro P. Tenorio recently vetoed a bill that seeks to relax the existing quarantine regulations by allowing the entry of pets properly vaccinated against infectious diseases without strict confinement that entails great cost to pet owners.

The governor did not approved the measure because the legislators failed to correct a typographical error which has drastically altered its intention since it only required animals to have .05IU/ml of rabies antibodies in their serum to pass the rabies antibody blood test.

This requirement is way below the recommended minimum level of .51IU/ml set by the World Health Organization to ensure that the threat of contracting rabies is contained.

Currently, the CNMI veterinarian allows dogs and cats to enter the island provided the owners allow them to undergo a 120-day quarantine. Pets from the U.S. mainland and Canada can also enter the Northern Marianas but would have to be quarantined for 60 days while the remaining period can be completed at the owners residence, otherwise known as the home quarantine.

A staff from the CNMI Veterinary Office will just visit the pet twice a week to check and make sure that the animals are not showing any sign or symptom of rabies infection.

Animal quarantine for cats for 60 days period is $180. The cost of quarantine for dogs depends on the weight of the pets but owners can pay as much as $5 per day.