Chan bans entry of pork, pork products from Carcar and Negros

Pigs and pork products are no longer allowed entry into Lapu-Lapu City based on the Executive Order signed on March 7 by City Mayor Junard “Ahong” Chan.

LAPU-LAPU CITY, Philippines — Lapu-Lapu City Mayor Junard “Ahong” Chan issued an executive order temporarily banning the entry of live hogs and pork-related products from Carcar City and Negros Island.

Chan signed Executive Order no. 2023-017 entitled “An Order Temporarily Banning the Entry of Live Hogs, Sows, Piglets, Boar Semen, Pork and Raw Pork-Related Products from Carcar City and Negros Island” dated March 7, 2023.

READ: ASF in Carcar: Exporting of meat banned, chicharon not

The order was made after the Bureau of Animal Industry-Animal Disease Diagnosis and Reference Laboratory (BAI-ADDRL) confirmed the detection of African Swine Fever (ASF) in blood samples that they obtained from Carcar City during their ASF surveillance activities.

Based on the investigation conducted by the Carcar City Veterinary Office, the pigs from which the aforesaid blood samples were obtained were kept at barangay stockyards together with pigs that came from Negros Island.

“WHEREAS, with the findings of BAI ADDRL, Lapu-Lapu City cannot risk the entry or invasion of the disease within its territorial jurisdiction through the delivery and distribution of hogs, sows, piglets, boar semen, pork, and raw pork-related products from Carcar City and Negros Island,” the executive order read.

Among the pork products that were temporarily prohibited to enter the city were live hogs, sows, piglets, boar semen, swine genetic materials, pork, raw pork products, either fresh or frozen pork products, and uncooked processed pork products.

The ban will take effect within 30 days. However, the ban will continue unless the Department of Agriculture (DA) or the BAI-ADDRL will declare that these areas are already ASF-Free.

Cooked and canned processed pork products, however, are exempted from the prohibition.

READ: ASF found in slaughtered pigs in Carcar City

Chan also ordered the City Veterinary Office to conduct Biosecurity and Control Measures such as intensified surveillance and monitoring of the local swine population in the barangays, pig farms, and stockyards in the city; establish veterinary checkpoints in coordination with the Lapu-Lapu City Police Office (LCPO) and the Phillippine Coast Guard at the different ports within the city; prohibition of swill feeding and pig slaughter outside an accredited slaughterhouse; and massive information dissemination.

Traders will also be asked to present pertinent documents during inspections relative to the transportation of pork products.        /rcg

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