Governors Gwendolyn Garcia (Cebu) and Roel Degamo (Negros Orietal) meet with Agriculture Secretary William Dar on Tuesday evening, September 24, 2019, to discuss the existing ban imposed by the provinces on the entry of hogs and pork products from Luzon in the light of the African Swine Fever (ASF) situation. CDN Digital photo | Rosalie Abatayo
MANDAUE CITY, Cebu — The ban against live hogs, pork and pork-related products sourced from Luzon provinces stays.
This developed after Agriculture Secretary William Dar and Department of Agriculture (DA-7) Regional Director Salvador Diputado met with Cebu Governor Gwendolyn Garcia and Negros Oriental Governor Roel Degamo on Tuesday evening, September 24, 2019.
The meeting, held at a hotel in Mandaue City, was done to discuss the measures taken by Central Visayas provinces in light with the African Swine Fever (ASF) situation in the country.
Read more: Cebu bans hogs from Luzon, processed pork products from Bulacan and Rizal
Read more: Mandaue imposes total ban on hogs, pork from Luzon
Read more: Cebu province imposes total ban vs hogs, pork products from Luzon
Dar earlier called Cebu’s 100-day total lockdown of its borders from hogs and pork from Luzon provinces as “overreacting” and expressed apprehensions that the ban may interrupt interregional trade.
Read more: Cebu ban on Luzon pork ‘overreaction,’ says Dar
Although Bohol has implemented a similar measure to that of Cebu province, Governor Arthur Yap opted not to join the meeting as he maintains that the ban in his jurisdiction will continue to be in effect.
‘Best of friends’
Cebu and Bohol implemented the total ban days after confirmed ASF-caused deaths in the provinces of Rizal and Bulacan and the reports of hog deaths in Metro Manila.
After about an hour of closed-door discussion, Dar, Garcia and Degamo came out saying that “they are best of friends.”
“[In the meeting with] Governor Gwendolyn Garcia of Cebu and Governor Roel Degamo of Negros [Oriental], we had a very friendly exchange, and you know what happened? In the end, we have the same objective and that is to protect the hog industry in this country. We are best of friends,” Dar told the press after their meeting.
Watch the interview here:
Garcia, who earlier said the DA’s “underreaction” to the ASF issue is dangerous, said Dar has now read and understood the content of Cebu and Bohol’s executive orders banning the Luzon-sourced products.
“The secretary has already read our executive order and he saw naman na this is temporary. It is only for 100 days and we really hope that the situation will really improve after a hundred days or even before that,” Garcia said.
Garcia also brought with her in the meeting Provincial Veterinarian Dr. Mary Rose Vincoy and the leaders of hog raisers and producers in Cebu to explain how crucial it is for them to protect the province’s P10.9- billion hog industry.
“Nalipay ta ana nga magpadayon ang ban while ang DA nagpadayon sa pagcontain sa disease ngadto sa Luzon,” said Rolando Tambago, president of the Central Visayas Pork Producers Cooperative (CeViPPCo).
(We’re happy that the ban stays while the DA is continuing its efforts to contain the disease within Luzon.) /bmjo