Cebu City Bans Pork from Luzon, Mindanao, Region 8 Amid Rising ASF Cases

Cebu City Mayor Edgar Labella issued Executive Order (EO) No. 118 which bans all pork products, especially live pigs that came from Luzon, Mindanao, and Region 8.

The EO aims to prevent the entry and spread to the African Swine Flu to Cebu City (ASF), as ASF cases in Biliran, Leyte, and Samar have gone up, prompting the government to place the said areas under a red zone for the viral disease. Pork and pork-products from these areas will not be allowed entry to Cebu City’s ports.

Apart from live hog, the ban will also include by-products of pork such as sauces, along with oil processed and sourced from the said areas.

The Department of Agriculture (DA) has confirmed that ASF cases have already reached parts of Luzon and Mindanao last year, according to the EO. As of the moment, the entirety of Cebu has been safe from ASF.

Due to the current low supply of pork in the Philippines, prices of pork have gone up to PHP280 per kilo in Cebu, and a staggering PHP400 per kilo in Metro Manila. With this, the government has allowed more pork imports to ease up the short supply that the country is currently experiencing.

The DA aims to triple pork imports, lowering the tariffs for pork entering the country. (GFB)