Cebu province and its capital city have started implementing a temporary ban on hogs, pork and pork products from Mindanao to safeguard the island against the spread of the African swine fever (ASF), which has already affected the Davao region.
Cebu Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia and Cebu City Mayor Edgardo Labella both took the ban into action on Feb. 13 that would last for 90 days in the province and 60 days in the city.
“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 stated in the executive order that implemented the ban that she signed.
The order was issued right after the meeting with various stakeholders in the province, according to Garcia.
“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?” Garcia added.
“Since there is a problem in Davao, so better include all from Mindanao,” Labella said, citing that the city has no shortage of pork from local producers. (RJ Espartinez)