In a proactive move to safeguard local hog industries, the provincial governments of Aklan and Guimaras have intensified border controls due to the looming threat of African swine fever (ASF). On June 23, Aklan Governor Jose Enrique Miraflores enacted an executive order banning the entry and transport of live hogs and pork products from ASF-affected regions.
Emergency Measures Amid Rising ASF Cases
The movement from ASF-affected or high-risk areas poses a continuing threat to the swine industry, food security, and livelihood of hog raisers in the province of Aklan.
Jose Enrique Miraflores, Governor of Aklan
- Temporary ban on live hogs and pork products from ASF-affected areas.
- Mandatory veterinary checkpoints and biosecurity measures at all ports.
The executive order outlines stringent veterinary quarantine protocols, including heightened inspections for swine, pork products, and genetic materials from regions such as Capiz and Iloilo, where ASF outbreaks have been confirmed. In Negros Occidental, over 500 pigs have succumbed to the disease, with Mayor Jilson Tubillara of San Enrique reporting economic losses exceeding P5 million.
In response, local governments are stepping up surveillance and testing of swine populations. Any unusual hog deaths or suspected illegal transport of pigs must be reported immediately.
Guimaras has also enforced similar measures. Governor Ma. Lucille Nava banned the entry of live pigs and raw pork products from areas classified as ASF Red Zones. Although the municipality of Nueva Valencia is considered high-risk, the majority of Guimaras remains free from ASF.
Transport vehicles carrying animal feeds and poultry products are required to present Certificates of Disinfection before entering Guimaras. The province mandates that all inter-municipal movements of hogs receive prior approval and proper disinfection.
The Iloilo City Veterinary Office has launched heightened monitoring efforts, emphasizing the importance of compliance with national meat inspection standards to ensure safe pork consumption.
As the ASF crisis escalates, authorities in Negros Oriental have banned the transport of live pigs and pork products from affected areas, reinforcing quarantine protocols at all entry points.