CEBU Gov. Pamela Baricuatro has signed Executive Order No. 1, Series of 2026, creating the Provincial Task Force on Marine and Agri-Food Safety (PTF-MAFS) to tighten controls on food-related health risks.
The task force is mandated to coordinate rapid responses to food-borne illnesses and contamination events involving agricultural and marine products.
Chaired by the Governor, the body will oversee inspections at markets and ports and issue public consumption advisories.
Provincial Administrator Joseph Felix “Ace” Durano has been designated as vice-chairperson, while members include the heads of the provincial health, agriculture, veterinary, environment, disaster risk reduction, planning, legal, and budget offices.
Sugbo News will be the task force’s secretariat to handle centralized risk communication.
“The policy of the Provincial Government of Cebu to protect public health, strengthen consumer protection, support livelihoods in agriculture and fisheries, and promote market confidence by institutionalizing coordinated measures for marine and agri-food safety,” the executive order stated.
Under the order, Sugbo News will “serve as the central hub for communications, including consolidation and dissemination of official advisories and risk communications as authorized by the chairperson,” and maintain centralized records of inspection summaries and incident reports.
Component cities and municipalities were enjoined to support the task force and align local enforcement, reporting, and public advisories with harmonized provincial protocols.
Executive Order 1 takes effect immediately upon signing and after the required publication or posting.
The creation of the food safety task force builds on Executive Order 86, Series of 2025, which institutionalized the conservation, protection, and sustainable development of agriculture and fisheries in Cebu.
EO 86 created the Provincial Agriculture and Fishery Conservation and Development Council (PAFCDC) tasked to “formulate and recommend provincial policies, plans, and programs for the conservation and sustainable development of agriculture and fishery” and promote “climate-resilient, environmentally sound, and science-based agricultural and fisheries practices.”
It will also support the protection of agricultural lands, fish sanctuaries, marine protected areas, and other critical habitats, while strengthening market access, post-harvest facilities, and agri-fishery enterprises. (CDF)