CEBU CITY – Governor Gwendolyn Garcia has extended the ban on live hogs and pork products from Negros Island until April 20 as Cebu province continues to battle the African swine fever (ASF) virus in 12 localities, including this capital city.
Garcia, in an
executive order, also prohibited the entry of piglets and semen, apart from the
live hogs and sows as well as products that contain pork. “The Philippine
National Police, Philippine Coast Guard, Cebu Port Authority, Mactan Cebu
International Airport Authority, and component cities and municipalities within
the territorial jurisdiction of the Province of Cebu are called upon to monitor
the strict implementation of this executive order,” she said.
Garcia said
there is a need to confer with the hog industry players, the mayors in Cebu,
and the governors in southern and northern Negros Island provinces in order to
come up with a common protocol against ASF, hog cholera, and other swine
diseases. She also invoked the “general welfare” clause of Republic Act 7160 or
the Local Government Code (LGC) in extending the ban on pigs and pork from
Negros.
She even cited
the devolved functions of the province in terms of its role in agriculture,
especially in preventing and controlling animal pests and diseases. “Under
Section 465 of the LGC, the Provincial Government has the power to adopt
adequate measures to safeguard and conserve the resources of the province in
coordination with the mayors of the component cities and municipalities,” Garcia
said.
The governor prohibited officials from the Bureau of Animal Industry from conducting further testing for the ASF in Cebu and designated only municipal or city veterinarians or agriculturists to run the test.
This after the agency made an advisory
raising the number of localities where pigs tested positive for ASF to 12 in in
Bogo City, Carcar City, Cebu City, Cordova, Lapu-Lapu City, Liloan, Mandaue
City, Minglanilla, San Fernando, Sibonga, Talisay City, and Tuburan. (John
Rey Saavedra)
No comments:
Post a Comment