City Hall extends ban on Luzon-pork

By: Emme Rose Santiagudo

The city government extended the 90-day on pork and by-products from Luzon until June 2020 to ensure that Iloilo City remains free from the African Swine Fever (ASF).

Mayor Jerry Treñas issued Executive Order (EO) No. 3, series of 2020, on Wednesday, extending the ban on live pigs, hog carcasses, pork and pork products and by-products originating from and/or processed in Luzon.

According to Treñas, there are still cases of ASF in Luzon that can possibly pose threats to the food security of the city.

“Iloilo is considered a leader of trade and commercial hub for Western Visayas. It is a main entry/exit of inter-regional conveyance through the Iloilo International Airport and the Iloilo International Port in Loboc, Lapuz, Iloilo City. There are still cases of ASF in the country particularly in Luzon, thus a possibility of it reaching Region 6 and cause high mortality and affect the food security of the city,” the mayor said in his order.

The EO amended the initial temporary ban ordered by the mayor on Oct 10, 2019 following reports of ASF cases in various parts of Luzon.

It also imposed a total ban on pork and pork-products from countries identified positive for African Swine Fever (ASF).

Before this, the Iloilo City Veterinarian’s Office has already announced its plan to make permanent or at least extend the 90-day ban.

City Veterinarian Dr. Tomas Forteza Jr. reported that during their recent inspections, they found pork products in markets and supermarkets shipped in from Mindanao and Cebu but which were originally manufactured in Luzon.

“There are possibilities that infected meat might enter the city because we have monitored pork products which were declared from Mindanao and Cebu but we know these products (were made) in Luzon, so we still have to verify,” he said.

The Western Visayas Region’s Veterinary Quarantine Office have so far confiscated and dispose of 7,000 kilograms of pork and pork products without proper documentation coming through the region’s airports and seaports.

The regional hog industry is valued at P7.69 billion with a total hog population of 1,250,681 head as of Jan. 1 this year, based on data from the Regional Veterinary Quarantine Office.