GINGOOG City Vice Mayor Peter Unabia urged residents on Tuesday, February 11, not to bring pork and pork-related food products from Davao and other areas outside Mindanao affected by the African Swine Fever (ASF).
Unabia is calling for strict implementation of measures against ASF, including rigorous conduct of inspections in entry and exit points to ensure that pork and processed pork meat products are intercepted.
He said they are taking the ASF threat seriously so that the city's swine industry will not be affected.
He added that once the ASF could not be controlled, prices of pork and pork food products will likely increase and farmers will also be affected.
"Lakip sa mitabang pagbantay nga dili makasulod ang ASF sa Gingoog ang Hog Raisers Association, National Meat Inspection Service (NMIS), Department of Agriculture (DA), ug Agriculture Training Institute (ATI)," Unabia said in a statement.
The Provincial Government of Misamis Oriental has already ordered the banning of pork and processed pork meat products from Davao Region, which recorded the first case of ASF in the island.
Gingoog is a component city of Misamis Oriental.
The order declares unlawful for anyone to bring into the province any and all kinds of pork and pork-related food products in whatever form or quantity they may be, including those which are for consumption purposes only; preserved, extended or frozen boar semen in whatever quantity or form; and live hogs transported into or passing through the province's territorial jurisdiction.
Governor Yevgeny Emano also ordered the installation of 24/7 veterinary quarantine stations, as may be necessary, augmented with police or military personnel to man the checkpoints and assist in the strict implementation of quarantine procedures.