Ginatilan imposes livestock restrictions amid ASF ‘outbreak’

Municipal authorities in Ginatilan, Cebu, imposed strict controls Tuesday on livestock movement and pork product trading following confirmed cases of African swine fever in two local barangays.

Mayor Roy Vincent Singco issued an executive order establishing containment zones in Barangays Cagsing and Calabawan to prevent the viral disease from spreading across the municipality and neighboring towns.

Under the directive, the entry, exit, transport, and slaughter of live pigs in the two affected communities are prohibited without written clearance from the Municipal Agriculture Office and the Provincial Veterinary Office.

The ban covers both commercial processing and household consumption.

Singco also banned all live swine and pork products originating from nearby Negros Oriental across all land and sea entry points in Ginatilan.

“Entry and exit of swine in Cagsing and Calabawan are strictly prohibited without prior written clearance,” the executive order disclosed.

To enforce the restrictions, the Philippine National Police established land checkpoints in Barangays Looc, Palanas, Mangaco, and Salamangca, while the Philippine Coast Guard deployed units to patrol coastal access points.

Vehicles carrying livestock are prohibited from entering local barangays to trade, though transit traffic along the national highway between Looc and Palanas remains permitted provided no stops or transactions occur.

The order temporarily halts all livestock trading and market transactions throughout the municipality, including scheduled market days on Tuesdays and Fridays.

Field visits by animal technicians and artificial insemination personnel have also been suspended.

The local containment measures follow an executive action by Cebu Gov. Pamela Baricuatro extending the province-wide ban on live hogs and pork products from ASF-affected areas, including Negros Oriental, for an additional 45 days.