Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, February 12) — Cebu and Iloilo have expanded their ban on live swine, pork and pork products to the entire Mindanao area amid threats of African Swine Fever.
Cebu Governor Gwendolyn Garcia signed Tuesday an order imposing a 90-day ban on pork, boar semen, pork-related products and byproducts as well as other products which have been commingled with pork from all regions of Mindanao.
“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,” read the order that takes effect on Thursday.
Iloilo Governor Arthur Defensor Jr. also released a similar order expanding the pork ban in his province.
Mindanao has been added to the list of areas covered by the Iloilo provincial government’s pork ban aside from Luzon, as well as other countries such as Latvia, Poland, Romania, Russia, Ukraine, Luxembourg, Belgium, Bulgaria, Moldova, Vietnam, Cambodia, Myanmar, Lao People’s Democratic Republic, South Korea, and China.
Zamboanga Peninsula also enforced Tuesday its 60-day total ban to control the spread of ASF.
It was in Davao Occidental where ASF was first reported to have reached Mindanao, prompting the provincial government to place it under a state of calamity after 10,000 hogs were affected by the disease.
Other provinces such as Misamis Oriental, Davao City, Mati City in Davao Oriental and Southern Leyte earlier enforced bans on the entry of live pigs and pork-based products from affected areas.
Dr. Eugene Mende of the Philippine Veterinary Drug Association said the country is projected to lose 1.1 million metric tons in pork production and 800,000 metric tons of pork supply due to the ASF.
ASF has already affected 627 barangays in the Philippines, Mende said.
Around 200,000 pigs, equivalent to 1.7 percent of the total hog population, died or were culled after they were infected by the virus.
