GUIMARAS ā Gov. Joaquin Carlos āJCā Rahman Nava has allowed the movement of swine, pork, and pork products and by-products within this island province.
The governor on December 2 issued Executive Order No. 88, Series of 2024, or An order lifting the restriction on the movement of swine, pork, pork products, and by-products within the Province of Guimaras and regulating the entry and/or shipment of the same into the province.
This comes after a report that all municipalities in the province have been classified as pink (buffer) zones.
Pink zones are areas with no African Swine Fever (ASF) cases but are adjacent to a red or infected zone.
According to Gov. Nava, as far as ASF is concerned, the current state of the province and its neighboring provinces shows that Western Visayas is on the road map to recovery, hence, the need to slowly reintegrate normalcy in the commerce and movement of swine, pork, and pork products and by-products in the province.
Despite the lifting of pork ban, the governor emphasized that the movement of swine, pork and pork products and by-products in the province is still subject to compliance with regulatory requirements.
The entry of canned, packed or sealed pork product for personal or commercial purposes requires certification either from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) or from the local government unit (LGU) where it came from that the product is registered or ASF-free.
In addition, fresh, frozen, chilled, newly slaughtered meat and uncooked processed pork products for personal consumption need local shipping permit from the Department of Agriculture-Bureau of Animal Industry (DA-BAI).
Fresh and frozen pork products for commercial use are required to have local shipping permit from DA-BAI and certificate of acceptance from Provincial Veterinary Services Office (PVSO). Cooked pork products must have official receipts from restaurants or supermarkets in which these were bought.Meanwhile, the entry in the province of live pigs for slaughter or breeding must be accompanied by local shipping permit, certificate of ASF-free status and certificate of acceptance from the PVSO.
Also, homemade, uncooked, and processed pork products from outside the province are still prohibited.
The governor directed the PVSO, Provincial Office for Agricultural Services, Provincial Law Enforcement and Public Safety Task Force, Guimaras Police Provincial Office, and Philippine Coast Guard to ensure strict compliance of hog raisers and traders with the documentary requirements and to implement veterinary quarantine procedures on the movement of swine pork, pork products and by-products to ensure that Guimaras remains free from ASF./PN
