The city government here will deploy personnel in its two major ports to boost the enforcement of the ban on pigs and pork products under the joint African swine fever (ASF) task force of the city and Negros Occidental province.
As of Friday, personnel of the Public Affairs and Assistance Division has already trained with the Animal Health and Meat Services Division of the Provincial Veterinary Office in preparation for their deployment to Bredco and Banago ports.
“Personnel led by executive assistant Nancy Discutido undergo training to augment the inspection teams,” a statement from the city government said.
The trained personnel will assist in the inspection of cargoes and baggage of arriving passengers to ensure that pork meat and pork products from other areas cannot enter the province and the city.
On Thursday, City Veterinarian Maria Agueda Trinidad de la Torre, Secretary to the Mayor Karol Joseph Chiu, and Provincial Veterinary’s Office Dr. Shinly Gemoya met with Bredco Port operations manager Aristotle Andrey and representatives of various shipping lines and fast craft vessel operators to discuss the enforcement of the pork ban.
On Oct. 17, Negros Occidental Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson and Bacolod City Mayor Alfredo Abelardo Benitez issued a consolidated executive order creating a joint ASF task force to harmonize the policies of both the province and this capital city in prohibiting the entry of the sources of infection caused by the dreaded hog disease.
The joint task force was formed days after Lacson ordered a ban on the entry of all pigs, pork, pork products, and other related items from the provinces of Iloilo, Antique, Capiz, Aklan, and Guimaras, after suspected ASF cases were reported in Oton, Iloilo on Oct. 13.
Negros Occidental also enforces the ban for Luzon, Mindanao, and Eastern Visayas, which have areas with confirmed cases of the swine disease.
Source: Philippines News Agency