By Dominique Gabriel G. Bañaga

Negros Occidental Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson yesterday released a memorandum ordering a ban on the entry of pork products coming from Region 8.

This comes after the municipality of Abuyog in Leyte province reported their first case of African swine fever (ASF).

According to Lacson, such incidence of ASF poses a great threat to the province, pointing out Negros Occidental is one of the major hog producers in the country and a gateway of live pigs being supplied to Luzon and Central and Eastern Visayas.

He also said that pursuant to Provincial Ordinance No. 2019-024, otherwise known as the “ASF Prevention Ordinance of Negros Occidental,” other areas may be covered with the ban once affected with ASF.

“Therefore, I hereby declare the banning on the entry of live pigs, boar semen, pork, pork products, and other pork related food items from Region 8 which includes the provinces of Leyte, Southern Leyte, Biliran, Samar, Eastern Samar, and Northern Samar,” Lacson said.

The Provincial African Swine Fever Task Force seized almost P5.6 million worth of banned pork products from January 1 to December 27 in 2020./DGB, WDJ