Two government officials in Cebu have imposed a temporary ban on live pigs, pork and pork products from all regions in Mindanao to protect the island from the African swine fever that affects the Davao region.
Cebu Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia said the pork ban throughout Cebu province took effect on Feb. 13 and would last for 90 days.
“Despite the strict measures taken by the provincial government to prevent the entry of the ASF virus into the province of Cebu, there is still a prominent risk of the virus entering Cebu from other areas of Mindanao,’’ Garcia’s Executive Order 7 says.
Meanwhile, the Department of Agriculture in Davao (DA-11) confirmed Wednesday that two of the four villages in Davao del Sur under tight watch for ASF had been found positive of the disease.
Ricardo Oñate Jr., DA-11 director, reported to Davao del Sur Gov. Douglas Cagas that the first case of ASF in the province was established after taking blood samples of pigs from Barangay Palili and Barangay Laperas, both in Sulop town.
In Cebu City, Mayor Edgardo Labella on Thursday also decided to prohibit live pigs, pork and pork products from Mindanao for 60 days.
“Since there is a problem in Davao, better include all from Mindanao, Labella said.
He said the city had enough supply of pork from local producers.
Garcia ordered the ban after a meeting with different stakeholders in Cebu.
“I listened to their concerns. I gave utmost importance to the question, if we ban pork from Mindanao, will we have enough supply for the Cebuanos? the governor said.
“Mindanao is an island, and it is easy to cross borders from one province to the next. And we know that this virus can easily be transmitted through clothing or the tires of vehicles.