Cebu Gov. Pamela Baricuatro issued Executive Order 39 on July 7, 2026, imposing a 45-day temporary ban on the entry of live hogs, pork, and processed pork products from Negros Island.
The ban aims to protect Cebu’s hog industry following confirmed African swine fever (ASF) cases in Bacolod City, Negros Occidental, and the municipality of La Libertad in Negros Oriental.
Cebu Provincial Veterinarian Mary Rose Vincoy stated the province remains ASF-free, with local government units activating task forces and coordinating with the Bureau of Animal Industry to implement strict border control.
CEBU Province has temporarily banned the entry of live hogs, pork and processed pork products from Negros Island and other areas hit by African swine fever (ASF).
Gov. Pamela Baricuatro issued Executive Order (EO) 39 on Tuesday, July 7, 2026, after ASF resurfaced in parts of Negros. The 45-day ban is meant to protect Cebu’s hog industry and keep the province free of the swine disease.
Scope of the ban
The order covers Negros Occidental and Negros Oriental, including shipments that come from or pass through ASF-affected, restricted or high-risk zones.
The ban took effect immediately after it was issued. It may be extended or revised depending on how the outbreak develops and on technical advice from the Department of Agriculture and the Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI).
Cebu’s seaports, airports and land entry points will be monitored by the Cebu Port Authority, Philippine Coast Guard, Philippine National Police and local government units (LGUs) to stop banned shipments from entering the province.
Why Cebu is acting now
The issuance of EO 39 followed confirmed ASF cases in Bacolod City, Negros Occidental and La Libertad in Negros Oriental.
In Bacolod City, hogs in Barangays Alijis and Taculing tested positive for ASF. In La Libertad, blood samples taken from hogs also tested positive.
Negros Occidental officials also reported 1,902 pig deaths from various diseases across 12 local government units as of June 25. But officials have not attributed all those deaths to ASF because many of the hogs were not tested.
Negros Occidental Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson earlier said ASF had resurfaced in the province, with cases reported in its southern area.
Capitol says
Cebu remains ASF-free
Cebu Provincial Veterinarian Mary Rose Vincoy said the province remains free of ASF, adding that active surveillance in 15 LGUs returned negative laboratory results.
The BAI has also recognized the 15 municipalities and cities under its ASF surveillance program, according to Vincoy.
“All our local government units are activating their ASF task force and we have this strong coordination with the Bureau of Animal Industry, the Regional Veterinary Quarantine Services, for the strict implementation of border control among our seaports,” she said during a press briefing Tuesday.