Cebu bans hog, pork shipments from Negros, other ASF-hit areas

TAGBILARAN CITY, BOHOL, Philippines — The provincial government of Cebu has imposed a 45-day ban on the entry of live hogs, pork and pork products from Negros Island and other areas affected by African swine fever (ASF) in a bid to protect its disease-free status and safeguard the province’s P20-billion hog industry.

Cebu Gov. Pamela Baricuatro signed Executive Order No. 39 on Tuesday, July 7, immediately prohibiting the entry of live hogs, fresh pork, and processed pork products from ASF-affected provinces.

The order will remain in effect for 45 days but may be extended or modified depending on the status of the outbreak and recommendations from the Department of Agriculture (DA) and the Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI).

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READ: Bacolod City, Negros Oriental town confirm resurgence of ASF cases

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According to the executive order, the temporary ban was prompted by the continued spread of ASF in Negros Island and other parts of the Visayas, while Cebu has remained free of the disease based on surveillance conducted by the DA and BAI.

The directive also requires hog raisers and other industry stakeholders to strengthen farm biosecurity by restricting access to essential personnel, regularly disinfecting vehicles, equipment, and footwear, and strictly complying with regulations on the movement of animals and pork products.

READ: More LGUs in Negros boost ASF biosecurity

The Cebu Port Authority, Philippine Coast Guard, Philippine National Police, and concerned local government units have been ordered to strictly enforce the ban at seaports, airports, and other entry points. Authorities were also directed to confiscate prohibited shipments and impose penalties under existing laws.

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Provincial veterinarian Mary Rose Vincoy said the temporary ban is intended to prevent the entry of ASF into Cebu while protecting the province’s hog industry.

Local government units have activated their ASF task forces and strengthened coordination with the BAI and the Regional Veterinary Quarantine Service to tighten border controls, particularly at seaports.

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The executive order came after reports reached the provincial government of the alleged illegal transport of hogs through smaller ports in the municipalities of Ronda, Santander, Dumanjug, and Tabuelan during nighttime and early morning hours.

Earlier this week, the Cebu Provincial Board approved a resolution urging the Provincial Veterinary Office and the Cebu Police Provincial Office to intensify security and monitoring at all entry points to prevent the possible entry of ASF-infected hogs.

Neighboring Bohol has likewise strengthened its border controls.

Gov. Erico Aristotle “Aris” Aumentado earlier signed Executive Order No. 28, imposing a 60-day suspension on the entry of live pigs, pork, and other regulated pork products from Negros Island following confirmed ASF outbreaks in Negros Occidental, Negros Oriental, and Bacolod City.

The Office of the Provincial Veterinarian (OPV) said more than 1,000 pigs are regularly transported from Negros Island to Bohol, highlighting the need for stricter quarantine measures to protect the province’s recovering P6-billion hog industry.

Bohol has reported no active ASF cases since April 8, 2026.

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ASF has resurfaced across the Negros Island Region, where more than 2,000 hog deaths have been recorded as of early July, prompting local governments to impose tighter quarantine checkpoints, movement restrictions, and immediate culling of infected animals. /cb