By Genalyn Kabiling The Bureau of Customs (BOC) has been placed on full alert to guard against the entry of imported products that may be infected with the novel coronavirus. Customs authorities are closely coordinating with the health and agriculture departments to thoroughly inspect food items, animals, farm products and used clothing imported from coronavirus-hit countries, according to Customs Assistant Commissioner Vincent Maronilla. (REUTERS/BOC/MANILA BULLETIN) The alert status was issued by Customs chief Rey Leonardo Guerrero last Monday to help ensure public safety and health amid concerns about the coronavirus spreading in some countries, Maronilla said. "The intelligence and enforcement group of Bureau of Customs are now on full alert as per order of the Commissioner guarding against all items not just food items by which we coordinate with the Department of Health (DOH) and Department of Agriculture (DA) that might be a carrier or a source of carrying these diseases other than actual humans," Maronilla said during a press conference in Malacañang. Customs personnel are also directed "to be in complete gear when conducting initial examination for items coming from counties that have been identified to have positive results in terms of infection of this virus," he said. Maronilla said the customs bureau prohibits the importation of food products without any corresponding license or permit from the Food and Drug Administration or the DA. He said it is up to the agriculture department to decide whether a ban will be imposed on certain products imported from virus-affected nations. "Nakikipagtulungan kami (we are working) very closely with the Department of Agriculture in treating food products coming in from these countries," he said. "We're leaving it to the DA if they will impose a ban or some stricter measure," he said. Maronilla said customs, immigration, and quarantine officers are also deployed to board and inspect aircraft and ships coming into the country. Such vessels usually carry food items and other bulk goods that must undergo a thorough inspection, he said. "Sometimes what is the leak na nangyayari comes from the food na hindi natin nakikita na (that we don't see) that are actually bringing also items in small amounts pero (but) infectious. Like for example yung mga cruise ships, may mga pagkain iyon doon at hindi naman galing iyon dito. Galing iyan sa foreign sources (Like for example cruise ships, there are food times coming from foreign sources). If you don't inspect that carefully during our boarding formalities, that could be a cause," he said in a later interview with reporters at the Palace. "'Yung mga airline food, kapag you don't inspect that properly maari din iyon maging cause (If you don't inspect airline food properly, they might be the cause)," he said. He said they would also closely guard against the entry of imported animals into the country, noting that "some exotic animals" have been intercepted at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA). "Very vigilant naman yung task force natin doon (Our task force is very vigilant). There's an interagency task force there outside of the efforts of the men and women of  the BoC in NAIA," he said. He said the local team is also actively working with customs authorities from other parts of Asia to monitor the entry of imported animals and other farm products. “Ukay-ukay" or used clothing will also undergo strict inspection by the customs bureau amid concerns these might be carrier of the virus, according to Maronilla. “We’re on high alert on used clothing,” he said. "We’ve already identified products that we put on high alert. Our risk management has been alerted to put them on all red flags,” he added. He admitted that they have learned lessons from the African Swine Fever outbreak in stepping up the inspection of farm products and other items.   "We are all looking at our past experiences and doing what we can to at least have some policies against this coronavirus sa pagpasok dito," he said. The novel coronavirus has triggered a worldwide alert as it rapidly spreads from China to other countries. It has reportedly killed more than 100 people in China where the virus originated. The Philippines is reportedly still coronavirus-free country amid intensified government measures to prevent its spread.  Several patients, however, have been reportedly placed under health quarantine to determine if they are infected with the virus.