Cebu Governor Gwendolyn Garcia. | Irene Sino Cruz
CEBU CITY, Philippines– The 100-day ban on the entry of live hogs and other pork products in Cebu will still be in effect even after Agriculture Secretary William Dar clarified that the African Swine Fever (ASF) did not cause the deaths of pigs in Rodriguez, Rizal.
“Even if it’s not ASF, my E.O. stays,” said Cebu Governor Gwendolyn Garcia.
Garcia said she was even considering a possible amendment to the ban to also include swine or hog cholera.
She explained that Cebu has not experienced any incidence of swine cholera for some years, so hog raisers here might not have strictly vaccinated their livestock.
Because of this, Garcia said, Cebu’s hog industry might be vulnerable to swine cholera.
The governor convened the provincial ASF task force to implement measures to protect Cebu’s P10.9-billion hog industry.
She ordered the ban while agriculture officials await the results of tests done to confirm if incidents of hog deaths in some areas of the country were due to the African Swine Fever (ASF).
Dar has already denied that ASF had caused the deaths of hogs in Rizal but he did not disclose the real cause.
Around 600 backyard pigs died in Rodriguez, Rizal. Also, 1,800 to 2,000 pigs have been affected in the 10-kilometer radius from ground zero, following protocol of the agency.
ASF is a highly contagious hemorrhagic disease of pigs, warthogs, European wild boar and American wild pigs. Mortality rates are as high as 100 percent.
Still, Garcia said there is a need to implement the 100-day ban to protect the local hog industry that supplies 85 percent of the province’s total demand.
It also provides livelihood to thousands of families and generated income for various support services. | dcb