The provincial government of Negros Occidental and the city government of San Carlos conducted a joint inspection on several establishments and grocery shops in the city to strengthen the campaign against African swine fever (ASF).

The team composed of Dr. Ibanny Banlasan of the Provincial ASF Task Force, Salvie Allen Navaja of the City Agriculture’s Office and representatives of the San Carlos City Police Station inspected 11 stores in the city last June 28 to 29.

The team thoroughly checked the meat-products, canned goods and processed foods like longganisa, chorizo, luncheon meats that contain pork-meat products.

Store owners and managers were also informed on the Department of Agriculture memorandum orders as well as provincial ordinance on ASF Task Force and the local executive order on the control of entry of meat-products manufactured from Luzon (Bulacan, Rizal, Pangasinan, Pampanga, Cavite, Nueva Ecija, Quezon City and Laguna), parts of Region 8 and parts of Mindanao.

Based on the Provincial Ordinance No. 2019-024 s. 2019, or the African Swine Fever Prevention Ordinance of Negros Occidental, the entry of ASF infected pork-meat products is banned in the province. Said ordinance includes the confiscation and seizure of products while seized products will be disposed through incineration or burying in accordance to RA 9003, PD 856 and other pertinent laws and disposed in landfill identified by the local government units./WDJ