THE PROVINCIAL l government of Cebu vowed to protect its PHP11-billion local hog industry by "indefinitely" extending the ban on pork and pork-related products from areas affected by the African swine fever (ASF).
Governor Gwendolyn Garcia was quoted by the capitol’s official news site as saying on Tuesday she is issuing another executive order that would indefinitely extend the ban against pork and pork-related products from Luzon and Mindanao.
She said the move was meant to allow the provincial government to focus on solving the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) crisis as the island province recorded an increasing number of confirmed cases.
Garcia’s move came after Mayor Edgardo Labella issued an executive order on April 28 lifting the city government’s ban on pork and pork-products.
Labella’s order exempts “dark green zones or free zones” from the ban on entry of live hogs and pork products and by-products into the city.
Garcia lauded Cebu City Councilor Raymond Alvin Garcia for passing a resolution asking Labella to reconsider his executive order.
But Labella, in a press conference Tuesday, stood pat on his decision to lift the ban of pork and live hogs from other areas in the country.
Labella said the EO is in line with the Department of Agriculture Administrative Order No. 12 that maps out the different zones that guide movement protocols of live hogs, pork, pork products, and by-products to control the spread of the ASF virus.
He said President Rodrigo Duterte’s Administrative Order No. 22 also directed all local government units and national government agencies to harmonize efforts with the agency in the fight against ASF.
“In fact, Secretary (William) Dar called me up to thank me for complying his order and the order of the President to exempt pork and pork products from areas categorized by DA as green or dark green zones,” Labella said.
However, Garcia said despite Labella’s EO, she will issue a new executive order to ensure continuing surveillance against pork, live hogs and pork-related products and prevent their entry in the island province.
“I will be issuing another executive order to have the ban extended indefinitely until we shall have conquered or until mahuman na ni ang atong problema sa (the termination of the problem of the) Covid-19 and we have to monitor developments of the ASF in Mindanao,” Garcia was quoted as saying.
The provincial task force on ASF convened Monday to discuss the city government's decision to lift the ban and its effect on Cebu province’s hog industry.
Garcia assured that the supply of pork from the local sources is enough to meet the demands of the Cebuanos
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