CEBU Province has remained free from the African swine fever (ASF) based on the ASF Zoning status issued by the Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI) on June 23, 2022.

“Cebu Province has remained free from the African swine fever, based on the ASF Zoning Status issued by the Bureau of Animal Industry as of end June,” the Cebu Provincial Government announced through its Sugbo News portal.

The Province also admitted that the cooperation between the public and the private sector played a great role in preventing the entry of ASF-infected pigs to Cebu.

“The partnership between the Cebu Provincial Government and private stakeholders has been crucial in ensuring the province’s safety from the ASF threat. Their strong support and coordination with the government helped in maintaining the province’s ASF-free status,” it added.

In order to protect the P11-billion livestock industry in Cebu, the Cebu Provincial Government has banned the entry of live pigs and its by-products from Luzon and other places in the country affected by ASF as well as the importation of the same from foreign countries since 2019.

The province is being considered as one of the biggest suppliers of live pigs to food manufacturing companies.

Avian influenza

Aside from pigs, chickens and other poultry products from places where there are confirmed cases of H5N1 avian influenza are also not allowed to enter Cebu.

Aside from ASF, the poultry industry in Cebu is still free from avian influenza.