Cebu, NegOr tighten border control in fight vs ASF

Local

TWO provinces in the Visayas have enforced strict security measures by tightening border control to prevent the spread of African Swine Fever (ASF).

Cebu Gov. Pamela Baricuatro issued Executive Order (EO) No. 36, establishing prevention and control measures against ASF, protecting its ₱20-billion hog industry.

Though there is no confirmed case of ASF in the province, based on the recent surveillance report from different towns and cities and confirmed by the Department of Agriculture’s Regional Animal Diseases Diagnostic Laboratory and the Bureau of Animal Industry, the Cebu provincial government still saw the need for proactive preventive measures to ensure that Cebu Island remains free from the disease.

Under the newly issued EO, live hogs, pork, and processed pork products from ASF-infected areas are prohibited from entering Cebu e “unless accompanied by complete veterinary health certificates, meat inspection certificates, negative ASF test results, and other regulatory documents.”

Tighter inspections at seaports and entry points facing Negros Island, including LGUs with direct routes from affected areas, will be conducted.

LGUs are ordered to conduct strict random inspections and deploy additional personnel, especially during nighttime, to prevent any smuggling activities.

Cebu is also restricting the entry of pass-through vehicles and livestock carriers from Negros Occidental and other affected areas for up to 45 days, subject to extension if necessary.

As for the Provincial Veterinary Office, it will continue to conduct ASF surveillance through blood testing, laboratory analysis, and farm inspections.

“Hog raisers are required to maintain regular disinfection of pens, vehicles, and equipment; restrict farm access to authorized personnel only; implement footbaths and protective clothing for farm workers; restrict swill feeding; and immediately report unusual pig mortalities to the proper authorities,” reads part of the EO dated June 26, 2026.

The Cebu Provincial Government also activated its ASF Task Force.

In Negros Oriental, Gov. Manuel “Chaco” Sagarbarria also issued an EO totally banning the entry of live hogs, pork, pork products, pork by-products, frozen boar semen, and hog transport vehicles from ASF-infected, restricted, and high-risk areas into the province.

“No shipment, delivery, transport, or conveyance of live pigs intended for breeding, fattening, slaughter, trade, or any other purpose, and no pork, pork products, pork by-products, frozen boar semen, or related regulated articles intended for sale, distribution, processing, storage, or personal carriage, shall be allowed entry into Negros Oriental from such areas for the duration of this Executive Order,” reads Sagarbarria’s order.

Any hog transport vehicle, livestock carrier, or similar conveyance used to transport regulated articles from ASF-infected areas is also prohibited from entering the province.

The prohibition also applies regardless of any permit presented, whether a veterinary health certificate, shipping document, or similar documentary requirement, if the shipment came from or transited through ASF-infected areas.

“Notwithstanding the inbound prohibitions under this Executive Order, the outbound transport of live hogs from Negros Oriental to the Province of Cebu may be permitted, subject to applicable national veterinary quarantine requirements and such additional safeguards as may be imposed by the Provincial Veterinary Office” the EO said.

Negros Oriental reactivated its ASF Task Force, which will establish and maintain strict border checkpoints, quarantine inspection points, and port inspections to ensure no shipment enters the province from affected areas.(MyTVCebu)