Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson issued an executive order on Monday, February 26, totally banning the entry into Negros Occidental of all pigs, boar semen and pork products from areas with reported cases of African swine fever in order to protect and enable the hog industry of the province to recover.
EO 24-07 Series of 2024 bans the entry into Negros Occidental of pigs, boar semen and pork products from Bacolod City, Negros Oriental, Luzon, Mindanao, Region 8, Panay Island, Guimaras Island, Province of Cebu, Camotes Island , Bantayan Island and countries affected with ASF as declared by the Department of Agriculture.
Exempted from the ban are processed pork products that are fully cooked such as ham, sausages, hotdogs, canned goods, pork chicharon, pork-based seasonings and the like, provided they are sourced from meat establishments with Certificates of Compliance to the ASF Public-Private Audit.
Lacson said Bacolod was included in the ban because it is still classified as an ASF red zone.
“Bacolod is the consumer and the province is the producer”, he said.
Mayor Alfredo Abelardo Benitez lifted Bacolod’s ban on the entry of pigs and pork products to try to bring down their cost in the city, Lacson said.
Bacolod is also classified as a red zone so it can accept products from red zones, he added.
Negros Occidental is classified as a dark green zone or free from ASF.
The provincial government will strictly follow the protocol against the entry of pigs and pork products from banned areas because “we would like to be the top producer of backyard hogs again,” Lacson said.
However, it will be more difficult to monitor the entry into the province of pigs and pork with Bacolod City having lifted its ban he said.
“We will just have to be vigilant”, he said.
All ports in Negros Occidental under the supervision of the provincial government will not allow the entry of pigs and pork products, the governor said.
Inspections will continue at seaports, airports and other points of entry in Negros Occidental in order to intercept incoming shipments of live pigs, boar semen, and pork products, he said.
In order to ensure the safety of everyone in Negros Occidental, all local chief executives are directed to strengthen biosafety, hygiene, and sanitation standards in slaughterhouses, livestock auction markets and piggery farms in their respective areas of jurisdiction, Lacson said.
He directed the Philippine National Police, Department of Agriculture, and other concerned government agencies to heighten the security and patrol of the provincial borders of Negros Occidental in the enforcement of EO 24-07 Series of 2024.*