• GILBERT P. BAYORAN
Negros Oriental has banned the entry of live pigs, pork and its related products as well as frozen boar semen from areas with confirmed African swine fever (ASF) cases.
This was contained in an executive order issued by Governor Manuel Sagabarria on June 24 as he also reactivated the ASF provincial task force to oversee, coordinate and monitor the implementation of the directive and related national and local issuances on ASF prevention and control.
Sagarbarria said the provincial government deems in necessary to adopt anticipatory and extraordinary precautionary measures in order to protect the local swine population, prevent the possible entry and spread of ASF into the province, and minimize economic disruption to backyard raisers, commercial farms, traders and consumers.
He ordered the strict implementation of border control and veterinary quarantine measures, including the inspection of cargos, meat and hog transport vehicles, livestock and poultry transport carriers, private vehicles, passenger baggage and other conveyances in all ports, boundaries and other strategic entry points of Negros Oriental.
Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson earlier confirmed the existence of ASF in some areas of Negros Occidental.
Sagarbarria also required all local government units to coordinate with the provincial ASF task force, and activate their respective local monitoring mechanisms, intensify barangay-level information drive, monitor backyard and commercial swine operators, and immediately report unusual swine mortality, or suspected ASF-related incidents to the Provincial Veterinary Office.
Any person or entity found to have misdeclared, concealed, transported, carried or facilitated the unauthorized entry of regulated pigs, pork, pork products, pork-by-products, frozen boar semen, or hog transport vehicles into Negros Oriental, shall be dealt with in accordance with existing laws and administrative regulations, he added. | GPB
