Mayor Greg Gasataya issued an executive order on Tuesday, June 23, reconstituting a task force to formulate a comprehensive contingency plan for African Swine Fever (ASF) prevention in Bacolod City.
This proactive step is part of the city’s continuous efforts to protect local farmers, hog raisers, vendors, consumers, and the entire swine industry against the ongoing threat of the disease, he said.
The EO was issued after ASF cases were confirmed to have resurfaced in some part of Negros Occidental.
Under the executive order, the task force will focus on executing a more organized and concerted action plan.
This includes forming specific control measures, conducting widespread information and awareness campaigns among stakeholders, and establishing investigation and control protocols in suspected African Swine Fever areas.
The task force will also will implement strict quarantine, movement control, and biosecurity measures, while strengthening import policies and border control to prevent the entry of infected pork and pork products.
To ensure the strategy’s success, the task force will handle regular monitoring, surveillance, and status reporting of all related activities, the EO said.
This will be done in close coordination with various regulatory and enforcement agencies, including the City Veterinary Office, City Health Office, City Legal Office, Bacolod City Police Office, Bacolod Traffic Authority Office, Philippine Coast Guard, Maritime Group, Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines, Food and Drug Administration, and the National Meat Inspection Service.
The EO calls on the public—especially hog raisers, vendors, transporters, and consumers—to fully cooperate with the task force, adhere to the rules, and immediately report any suspected cases or sales of suspicious pork products to help strengthen Bacolod’s collective defense against the disease.
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