PANDI, Bulacan—From ebola reston virus that hit a commercial farm here in 2009, this large swine producing town of Bulacan is now under watch for “lechon botcha” to prevent its possible transporting and marketing to other places.
But according to Arman Concepcion from the office of Mayor Enrique Roque of this town, both the cases of ebola reston virus and the incident of lechon botcha remain a resoective single isolated cases and should not impugn the name of their town being one of the largest hog raising and swine producing municipalities in the province.
Pandi with several mostly Chinese-owned huge hog commercial firms employ many residents as workers and is deemed one of its major industries.

Aside from Pandi, the town of Sta. Maria, san Miguel, Baliuag, San Ildefonso are also known major sources of swine including San Jose del Monte City.
Acting Bulacan provincial veterinary officer Voltaire Basinang said based on the data by the Bureau of Animal Industry, 60 percent of the port meats being distributed to Metro Manila markets came from the following towns including other swine producing localities in the province.
Bienvenido Basuna from Barangay Bunsuran here was earlier arrested and charged in court for violation of anti double dead meat provincial ordinance.
Basinang said Basuna was found by the police on the act of roasting inside the backyard of his house at least 22 pigs, most of them were found to be double dead because of the foul odor emanating from the meats.
As a result, Basinang said, the police have already intensified its various checkpoints here and in other towns that are sources of pork meats to prevent distribution and sales of the hot meat which have recently been modified into “lechon” to hide detection by authorities due to roasted meats of the double dead pork meats.
Basinang said although Bulacan or this town was not detected or pinpointed as the origin of lechon botcha that was recently confiscated in Balintawak market by Quezon City meats inspection team, hot meats, double dead meats or commonly known as “botcha”, the province is identified by the BAI as one of the seven provinces that are the sources of the said types of meat being sneaked in to Metro Manila.
“Balintawak market sa Quezon City at mga palengke sa Caloocan City ang naging karaniwang nadidiskubreng may mga botcha,” he said.
He said Bulacan markets are always free from botcha because of the close coordination of meat inspectors, market masters and other personnel designated to check the good quality of meats.
He said the receipt to meat owner is only being issued upon delivery of the slaughtered good meat in the market to avoid inclusion and delivery to market of double dead meats that were not cleared by the National Meat Inspection Service.
“Matagal ng sistema ito dito sa Bulacan kaya walang botcha na nakakarating sa palengke kasi halimbawa kung apat lang ang cleared and approved good meat tapos may resibo agad ito na dala, pwedeng samahan o dagdagan ng may ari ng baboy ang bilang ng ulo at katawan nito sa palengke kahit yung hindi dumaan sa meat inspection,” he explained.
Basinang said the lack of coordination of concerned officials in Quezon City and Caloocan City to the Bulacan provincial veterinary office to practice the same stricter monitoring and checking continue to the yield and delivery of double dead meats.
Basinang said Basuna was showing a permit from a slaughter house pertaining to the clean meats that he was roasting but only limited for four numbers of pigs being cleared and have passed the inspection contrary to 22 pigs being roasted.
The provincial veterinary officer said Basuna refused to divulge his source of the dead meats and only rely on the very small P5,000 fine for his liberty.
According to Basinang, the absence of a national law that would prosecute the persons arrested for double meat violation make an easy business and industry for the double dead meat transporters.
He said unless a tougher law is made, the proliferation of double dead meats may stay especially as scrupulous individuals would still want to benefit from the double dead meats.
Section 4 of the Provincial Ordinance on the Rules and Regulations on the Control and Eradication of Foot and Mouth Disease in the Province of Bulacan sanctioned with P5,000 worth of fine whoever will be caught transacting business out of the dead swine or already double dead meats.