THE Cebu Provincial Ordinance 2023-02 is getting support from the two Cabinet members of President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.
During their visit to Governor Gwendolyn Garcia at the Capitol on Tuesday, April 25, Interior Secretary Benjamin Abalos Jr. and Secretary Anton Lagdameo Jr. of the Office of the Special Assistant to the President expressed support to the province’s "landmark" ordinance, which was approved by the Provincial Board on April 4.
The ordinance orders all national government agencies and government-owned and –controlled corporations to adhere to the Sections 2(c), 25(b), 26 and 27 of Republic Act 7160 by coordinating, consulting, and involving the province of Cebu in the planning and implementation of its programs, projects, and policies.
Section 2(c) of the RA 7160 requires all national agencies and offices to conduct periodic consultations with appropriate local government units before any project or program is implemented in their respective jurisdictions.
Section 25(b) ensures the participation of any local government units in the planning and implementation of any national projects.
Garcia announced last April 3 that the new ordinance was crafted with the continuous insistence of the Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI) of the Department of Agriculture (DA) to implement their culling policy following the detection of African Swine Fever (ASF) in Cebu.
Abalos, who once served as mayor of Mandaluyong City for the past several years, claimed to be able to relate to Garcia's issues with national line agencies because he himself had a bad experience with a government agency that carried out a project in Mandaluyong without consulting his office.
He explained that he printed a tarpaulin to warn his residents that the unfinished project does not belong to the local government unit.
The governor, who had similarly worded tarpaulins posted on the national highway in Oslob town, southern Cebu, just nodded in agreement and called Abalos a blessing for the Department of Interior and Local Government.
She also made it clear to Abalos and Lagdameo that she does not criticize President Marcos over the BAI program, despite the fact that the president currently serves as head of the Department of Agriculture, where the BAI belongs.
According to her, she only wanted to protect Cebu's P11-billion pork industry from BAI regulations that would disrupt the local economy and target small hog farmers.
Lagdameo, who is also a hog farmer, claimed to be familiar with the ins and outs of the business.
He applauded the governor for utilizing proactive measures rather than a sweeping culling order to handle the alleged existence of ASF in Cebu.
Meanwhile, the League of Municipalities of the Philippines-Cebu Chapter (LMP Cebu) headed by Daanbantayan Mayor Sun Shimura approved a resolution 2023-001 condemning the acts of BAI to combat the ASF.
The group urged the BAI to stop enforcing its policies, particularly with regard to culling, and to stop its color-coding scheme in ASF-affected towns since it has been proven that it is not effective given that in the town of Tuburan, which has 54 barangays, only 2 pigs were infected with the disease but marked with red zone or infected zone.
In the same resolution, they backed Garcia in using her authority under RA 7160 to take on the challenge and defend the populace from the BAI policy, and they put their support behind the governor when she lodged a complaint with the Office of the Ombudsman against the five BAI officers from the central office and Central Visayas.
"To condemn in the strongest terms the blatant and callous disregard by officials of the Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI) of the basic tenets of decentralization and local autonomy in not seeking prior coordination, cooperation and consent from the local government units, particularly, the Province of Cebu, by implementing inaccurately based African Swine Fever (ASF containment protocol and strategy within the territorial jurisdiction of Cebu," part of the resolution reads.
Shimura announced that 44 mayors signed the resolution, except for the cities of Danao and Cebu.
"We got the support of the 44 municipal mayors and component cities. So far in Cebu only two mayors did not affix their signatures sa resolution," Shimura said on Wednesday, April 26.
According to Shimura, the LMP-Cebu recognized the need to unite in defending the province especially that many livelihoods will be affected by BAI’s culling policy.
"I think siguro si Mayor Mike that time he was actually in favor of the protocols of the Bureau of Animal Industry which is the culling within 500-meters which governor insisted na she already explained that she already released the Executive Order no. 10 ordering protocols of this infected ASF municipalities but, I think during sa discussion hesitant man siya and is maybe in favor of the protocols of the Bureau of Animal Industry," Shimura revealed.
Aside from Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama, Danao City Mayor Mix Durano did not sign LMP Cebu’s resolution.
"If you can also see wala diha ang signature sa Danao kay we have been following up for quite some time already. I think mga almost 3 or 4 working days when we got a response from the secretary of Mayor Durano that the mayor was still busy so might as well wala nalang. Maybe he's not in line with the said resolution," Shimura stated.
Mayor Durano has already issued an executive order that protects backyard growers and hog farmers in Danao, and prohibits the entry of pigs from other ASF-affected areas. (PAC, ANV, TPT)