Negros Oriental Gov. Manuel “Chaco” Sagarbarria asked Cebu to consider testing hogs in his province before shipment, while Cebu Gov. Pamela Baricuatro stated that the request is currently being studied.
The Cebu Provincial Veterinary Office is investigating a possible link between African swine fever cases in Ginatilan and hogs from Negros Oriental, following three positive backyard pig samples on September 18.
Governor Baricuatro extended Cebu’s ban on live hogs and pork products from Negros Island and other affected areas for 90 days under Executive Order 44 issued on August 20.
AS CEBU investigates a possible link between the African swine fever (ASF) cases in Ginatilan and hogs from Negros Oriental, Gov. Manuel “Chaco” Sagarbarria has asked Cebu to consider testing hogs from his province before shipment amid tighter controls following ASF cases in the Negros Island Region (NIR).
Cebu Gov. Pamela Baricuatro said Wednesday, Sept. 30, 2026, that Sagarbarria made the request during their dialogue at the Regional Network for Environmental and Biological meeting.
“He asked if their pigs could be tested there before they are sent here,” Baricuatro said in Cebuano.
“We’re still studying it,” she said.
Negros Oriental recorded its first ASF case this year in early July, while Negros Occidental reported cases in late June. The two provinces share Negros Island, while Negros Oriental faces Cebu across the Tañon Strait.
Tracing possible links
In a Sept. 23 report from SunStar Cebu, the Cebu Provincial Veterinary Office (PVO) is investigating a possible link between the first ASF cases in Ginatilan and hogs from Negros Oriental.
Three of four samples from backyard pigs in Barangays Cagsing and Calabawan tested positive for ASF DNA on Sept. 18, according to the PVO. However, the PVO stressed that the possible Negros Oriental link has not been established as the source of the cases.
Ginatilan’s first positive ASF case highlights the pressure on southwestern Cebu towns because of their close proximity to the NIR. Cebu faces Negros across the Tañon Strait, with sea routes connecting the islands through ports in Toledo, Dumanjug, Samboan and Santander.
Intercepting illegal shipments
Authorities have intercepted several attempts to bring hogs from Negros into Cebu despite the ban. In July, 42 hogs were intercepted in Dumanjug, while 104 hogs worth P520,000 were seized in Badian on Aug. 13. The hogs were later euthanized and buried. Moalboal officials also intercepted two piglets on Aug. 10 and 60 hogs on Sept. 1.
Baricuatro issued Executive Order (EO) 44 on Aug. 20, extending Cebu’s ban on live hogs and pork products from Negros Island and other ASF-affected areas.
The extension brings the ban to 90 days unless lifted or further extended. It also orders stricter inspections at ports, wharves and other entry points into Cebu, citing the regular movement of people and goods between the neighboring islands.
Protecting local borders
Baricuatro warned hog raisers and traders against attempting to bring pigs into Cebu through unauthorized routes.
“Don’t try because you will definitely be arrested. Our PNP (Philippine National Police) is very proactive about this one,” she said in a mix of Cebuano and English.
She said Cebu mayors have tightened controls at their borders and ports amid efforts to prevent the entry of hogs and pork products from ASF-affected areas. Baricuatro said Ginatilan Mayor Roy Singco also questioned the Ginatilan ASF case, noting that the municipality is not directly across the Negros Oriental towns where ASF-affected hogs had been reported.
“I told him it could be the smuggling. We have been making arrests here now,” Baricuatro said in a mix of Cebuano and English.
Addressing holiday supply
Baricuatro said Cebu and Negros Oriental officials, together with their respective provincial veterinary offices, are working on measures to meet the expected demand for lechon during the Christmas season while maintaining ASF safeguards.
“We’re still trying to find a way on how we can ensure a happy Christmas season, right? We really need to meet the demand for lechon,” Baricuatro said in a mix of Cebuano and English.
The border controls also affect Cebu’s lechon industry, which relies on smaller native pigs mostly raised in the NIR. Rolando Tambago, vice chairman of the Pork Producers Federation of the Philippines, said Negros raisers often try to ship these pigs to Cebu because they are more widely available there.
Meanwhile, Bohol Gov. Erico Aristotle Aumentado ordered a 60-day temporary suspension on the entry of live hogs and hog products from ASF-affected areas in Cebu through EO 47 issued on Sept. 30.
The order followed the confirmation of ASF in hogs in Ginatilan, while the investigation into the disease situation in other areas of Cebu continues. The directive temporarily bars the entry of live hogs from Ginatilan but allows hogs from other parts of Cebu to enter Bohol, subject to proper verification and applicable national veterinary and shipping requirements.
Violations are subject to penalties under Bohol Provincial Ordinance 2025-034. The order will remain in effect unless the provincial veterinarian issues a new directive based on developments in the ASF situation.
Cebu’s 90-day suspension on the entry of hogs from Negros Island also remains in effect amid the continuing assessment of the ASF risk. / CDF with reports from ANV