CEBU CITY – Live hogs and pork-related products coming from Negros Oriental are already allowed to enter the province of Cebu.
The ban was lifted through Executive Order (EO) No. 17 that Cebu Gov. Gwen Garcia issued on Thursday, April 25.
Live hogs and pork-related products coming from Negros Oriental were barred from entering Cebu on May 26 last year.
The ban was enforced due to confirmed cases of African Swine Fever (ASF) in Negros Oriental.
Garcia said in EO No. 17 that the temporary ban was lifted as there was a need to address the rising cost of “lechon” (roasted pig) in Cebu.
The increasing prices of lechon has affected Cebuano consumers, Garcia said.
While the ban has been lifted, Garcia set some requirements for the entry of live hogs, sows, piglets, boar semen, and pork-related products in Cebu.
One of these is the presentation of a certificate showing that hogs entering Cebu are ASF-free. A shipping permit is also required.
For imported and local frozen pork products, a meat inspection certificate must be presented.
Cebu is home to a P11-billion hog industry.