Iloilo Governor Arthur Defensor, Jr. recently issued an executive order temporarily banning swine, pork, pork products, and by-products from Luzon for 90 days with regard to the ongoing threat of African swine fever. The order amended an earlier order that only banned products from Rizal and Bulacan, where the Department of Agriculture detected active cases.
“The continuing spread of [African swine fever] in Luzon necessitates a broadening of the temporary ban on swine, pork products, and by-products to include the whole of Luzon, including its island provinces,” the governor noted.
Defensor also ordered strict veterinary quarantine procedures and safety measures, while seaports and Iloilo International Airport have been placed under quarantine check.
Earlier, after reports showed the Department of the Interior and Local Government was planning to issue a memorandum encouraging the lifting of bans on processed pork products, the Negros Occidental Provincial Anti-Swine Fever Task Force, through a document signed by Provincial Veterinary Office head, Dr. Renante Decena, and concurred by Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson, recommended the continuation of the existing 90-day ban on pork and pork products originating from Luzon.
The task force said they will move towards the reconsideration of any memorandum as such a policy would be harmful to Negros Occidental’s food security./WDJ