Following African swine fever confirmation in Ginatilan, Alegria stopped accepting external pork products while Badian increased monitoring of backyard raisers.
Cebu Provincial Veterinary Office head Mary Rose Vincoy reported three positive samples from backyard pigs in Cagsing and Calabawan on September 18, 2026.
Badian authorities previously euthanized and buried 104 live hogs intercepted from Negros on August 13 on the advice of the provincial veterinary office.
ALEGRIA has stopped accepting hogs and pork products from outside the municipality, while Badian has stepped up monitoring of backyard raisers, after African swine fever (ASF) was confirmed in Ginatilan, in southwestern Cebu.
Three of four samples from backyard pigs in Ginatilan’s Barangays Cagsing and Calabawan tested positive for ASF DNA on Sept. 18, 2026, according to Cebu Provincial Veterinary Office (PVO) head Mary Rose Vincoy. The two barangays were placed under quarantine, with six checkpoints set up to monitor livestock and vehicle movement.
The PVO is investigating a possible link to hogs from Negros Oriental, but Vincoy said this has not been established as the source of the infection.
The measures come on top of Executive Order 44, issued by Gov. Pamela Baricuatro on Aug. 20, which extended the province-wide ban on live hogs and pork products from Negros Island and other ASF-affected areas.
Alegria relies on backyard raisers
Alegria, which faces Negros Oriental across the Tañon Strait Protected Seascape, will source pork only from local backyard raisers, said municipal information officer Jesus “Tetu” Cavalida.
“Sa pagkakaroon, dili na mi modawat og mga baboy ug pork products gikan sa gawas. Diri lang sa among mga backyard raisers among kuhaan,” Cavalida said, adding that the measure is a precaution.
(For now, we are no longer accepting hogs and pork products from outside. We will source them only from our backyard raisers here.)
The town has also coordinated with military and maritime authorities to monitor possible entry points and residents were urged to report sick or dead pigs immediately.
Badian monitors hog movement
In Badian, most of the more than 2,000 hog raisers operate backyard farms, said Municipal Agriculture Office head Cirila Perater in a phone interview on Monday, Sept. 28.
“Gi-pahugtan ang among biosecurity surveillance unya movement control sa mga barangay,” she said. (We have tightened our biosecurity surveillance and movement control in the barangays.)
Raisers were reminded to keep pigpens clean, limit the entry of outsiders such as buyers and feed technicians, and report sick pigs so livestock technicians can assess them.
Despite the tighter controls, Perater said pork supply remains sufficient, since most pork sold in Badian comes from local raisers, some of whom also sell hogs to nearby towns.
“Subra ra diri. Sa Badian lang ang hisgotan, subra ang supply,” she said.
(Supply is more than enough here. If we’re talking only about Badian, the supply is more than enough.)
Interceptions from Negros
According to Perater, Badian authorities intercepted 104 live hogs from Negros on Aug. 13, following three previous interception attempts earlier that month. On the advice of the PVO, the 104 hogs — along with two from the prior seizures — were euthanized and buried. Authorities also reported that another planned shipment was aborted after those involved realized they were being monitored.
The threat across the strait remains active. In Negros Oriental, the provincial veterinary office depopulated 539 pigs in July and August to contain ASF clusters in Bayawan City, Tanjay City, Amlan, Siaton, Valencia, Zamboanguita and Pamplona. Active cases were recorded in Bayawan City, Pamplona, Siaton and Valencia as of late August. / CDF