The Cebu Provincial Veterinary Office has increased border controls at seaports and entry points following a confirmed African Swine Fever (ASF) outbreak in neighboring Negros Occidental.
Officials aim to protect Cebu’s P15-billion hog industry, with 16 local government units currently applying for official "ASF-free" status from the Bureau of Animal Industry to maintain the province's zero-case standing.
Transporters must now provide a valid shipping permit, an official animal health certificate, and a mandatory negative ASF test result for all live animals to prevent the virus from entering Cebu.
CEBU is stepping up checks at its ports and borders to keep a destructive pig disease away from its massive livestock industry. The Cebu Provincial Veterinary Office (PVO) has increased border controls after an outbreak of African Swine Fever (ASF) was confirmed in nearby Negros Occidental.
The stricter rules are designed to protect Cebu’s local hogs and safeguard its multi-billion-peso pig industry, which has grown from P11 billion in 2019 to a massive P15 billion today. Officials want to make sure the virus does not cross the water, especially since Cebu currently has zero active cases of ASF.
Focusing on high-risk ports
While the recent outbreak happened in Negros Occidental, Cebu officials are monitoring all possible entry points because pigs move quickly between provinces to meet the high demand for local lechon production.
PVO Head Dr. Mary Rose Vincoy explained that the province is focusing heavily on seaports that look out toward Negros Island, such as Toledo City and Tabuelan, along with multiple entry points in southern Cebu.
“So, it's not only the seaports facing the Negros Island, but possible other entry, port of entries diri sa Cebu Province,” Vincoy said. "So stricter gihapon ang ato-ang imposition ana, knowing nga we have a huge hog industry diri sa Cebu." (So our imposition of that is still stricter, knowing that we have a huge hog industry here in Cebu.)
Negros Occidental Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson confirmed on Tuesday, June 23, 2026, that ASF cases have returned to his province, three years after the same disease caused the deaths of thousands of pigs there. Cebu Governor Pamela Baricuatro has already been fully briefed on the situation.
Battle vs hidden virus
Vincoy warned that African Swine Fever is very difficult to eliminate once it gets into a region.
“The African Swine Fever virus is already in the Philippines," Vincoy said. "So once it enters an area, the virus is really there. It's just a matter of time when it's conducive for them to multiply.”
The sudden tightening of borders comes at a critical time for Cebu. Right now, 16 local government units across the province are applying for an official "ASF-free" status from the Bureau of Animal Industry.
To help with this, the PVO previously started a province-wide hog surveillance and testing program. This program helps small-scale farmers—who have been hit hard by past travel restrictions—secure a "green zone" certification from the Department of Agriculture.
Stricter rules for animal transporters
To prevent illegal entries, the PVO has laid out tough requirements for anyone bringing livestock into Cebu. Moving forward, transporters must present:
A valid shipping permit
An official animal health certificate
A mandatory negative ASF test result for all live animals
Cebu has dealt with border breaches in the past. On October 26, 2024, during a period of high ASF alerts across the region, around 80 hogs were smuggled into Dumanjug in southwestern Cebu from Negros Oriental.
To prevent this from happening again, the Provincial Government met with the National Meat Inspection Service on Tuesday, June 23, 2026. They have scheduled extra meetings with municipal ASF coordinators to make sure the entire province is working together to defend Cebu’s livestock.