PH Lifts Japan Poultry Ban Amid Fears Over Food Safety

The Philippine government has lifted a ban (or stopped a rule) that had stopped chicken, eggs, and other bird products from coming into the country from Japan.

This decision was made by Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr., who leads the Department of Agriculture (DA). He signed Memorandum Order No. 36, which means that the ban — made in November 2024 — is no longer in effect.

🦠 Why Was There a Ban in the First Place?

Last year, the Philippines stopped buying poultry (that means chicken, eggs, and birds) from Japan because of a bird flu outbreak. Bird flu is a dangerous sickness that spreads among birds and can sometimes make people sick too.

To protect Filipino chickens and people, the DA made a rule to stop all imports of:

Chicken meat
Day-old chicks
Eggs
Bird semen (used to breed chickens)

✅ Japan Says It’s Safe Now

Japan’s Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries recently told the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) that the bird flu problem is over. They said:

The last case was solved by June 13
No new bird flu cases have happened since then

So Secretary Tiu Laurel said the Philippines did its own safety check and agreed that:

“Japan is bird flu free, and the chance of bird flu spreading from Japanese poultry is very, very low.”

📦 What Happens Now?

Now that the ban is lifted, stores and food companies in the Philippines can once again order chicken, eggs, and other bird products from Japan.

But there are still rules:

Importers must follow all safety and cleanliness rules made by the DA.
This includes proper checks on health, packaging, and transport.

💡 Why This Decision Matters

This move will:

Help keep more chicken and eggs available in the Philippines
Give businesses more options to buy poultry from other places
Stabilize food supply, especially now that prices and supply are changing all over the world