Ivory products in PH market despite international ban, says Customs chief Biazon

Ruffy Biazon is right. Instead of being too caught up in the narrow tunnel-vision of ivory ban, we need a broader understanding of why ivory trade enjoys a high social acceptability in North Asia, South Asia, Southeast Asia, Middle East, North Africa and Subsaharan Africa. Surprisingly, the Europeans who killed so many African and Indian elephants for fun during the age of colonialism are now banning the use of ivory.

In the Philippines, the use of ivory predates the Spanish period. Filipino sultans and rajas pride themselves with kris daggers wrapped in ivory sheaths and ivory handles. The Philippines has long been a maritime trading and logistical hub in southeast Asia (maritime Silk Road) even before the Spaniards came. Silk, porcelain and celadon, Indian sandalwood, Indian ivory had been passing through the Philippines from India and hinterlands of Indo-Malay islands to China and Japan. There are many archeological digs to support this in Batanes from the North, to Lingayen Gulf to Sulu. Even Ambeth Ocampo’s column would occasionally mention this. This also explains why the use of ivory has such a high social acceptability in Asia. The Malay Muslims love it, the Chinese Buddhists in the north love it, the Indians Maharajs love it, the Javenese Royalty love it, the Yamato shogunate class love it. Even His Royal Highness The Thai King to this day sports a dagger with ivory handle.

It is high time that we also question things that don’t make sense. We put a ban on dog meat despite our long cultural history of dog-eating just to imitate the white man’s hypersensitivity to animal-rights. Instead of criminalizing ivory and expending the resources of BoC, let the EU countries especially UK spend more money in expanding elephant sanctuaries in South Africa. Instead of criminalizing an Asian cultural and social treasure, we should perhaps teach our children why hunting down big animals purely for fun like the Europeans did is bad and cruel.

Instead of hunting down ivory tusks, Ruffy Biazon is sensible enough to devote more time on going after smuggled fuel, vegetables and chop-chop vehicles.

Terrible….