REGIONAL
Advocates Philippines
Chicharon 'Safe to Eat' in Cebu - Provincial Veterinary Office
Photo credit: Cebu Government
Chicharon-loving Cebuanos and tourists can still enjoy their favorite snack food amidst fears of the African Swine Fever (ASF) outbreak, as long as it does not come from an infected swine, according to Dr. Mary Rose Vincoy, chief of the Cebu Provincial Veterinary Office (CPVO).
Vincoy clarified during a meeting with Cebu’s city and municipal veterinarians and agriculture officers on Thursday, March 9 at the Capitol Gallery that ASF is not a zoonotic disease, meaning it cannot be transmitted to humans even if they eat pork. However, pork from an infected swine is not allowed to be consumed under the meat inspection law.
Representatives from the Department of Agriculture, National Meat Inspection Service, and Central Visayas Pork Producers Cooperative (CeVIPPCo) also attended the meeting to discuss the national zoning plan of ASF-affected areas in the province.
Vincoy mentioned that the province has already set measures in place since 2019 when Gov. Gwen Garcia issued Executive Order 13 adopting an ASF provincial preparedness and contingency plan and creating a task force. The current focus is on revisiting and strengthening these measures and adhering to the protocols set in the National Zoning and Movement Plan on the movement of ASF.
Based on the latest zone status of the province, Carcar City is a red zone or the affected zone, while San Fernando, Aloguinsan, Barili, and Sibonga are pink or buffer zones, Pinamungahan, San Fernando, Naga, Dumanjog, and Argao are yellow or surveillance zones, and Alcantara, Moalboal, Badian, Dalaguete, Toledo City, Minglanilla, and Talisay City are light green protected zones. The rest of the Cebu towns and cities are in the green or free zones.
With the areas now being classified, Vincoy said it will be easier to detect if there will be a “spillover” or an instance when pigs get out of Carcar City. Contact tracing is also in place to determine the source, and veterinary health certificates should be originally issued and not photocopied.
Vincoy clarified during a meeting with Cebu’s city and municipal veterinarians and agriculture officers on Thursday, March 9 at the Capitol Gallery that ASF is not a zoonotic disease, meaning it cannot be transmitted to humans even if they eat pork. However, pork from an infected swine is not allowed to be consumed under the meat inspection law.
Representatives from the Department of Agriculture, National Meat Inspection Service, and Central Visayas Pork Producers Cooperative (CeVIPPCo) also attended the meeting to discuss the national zoning plan of ASF-affected areas in the province.
Vincoy mentioned that the province has already set measures in place since 2019 when Gov. Gwen Garcia issued Executive Order 13 adopting an ASF provincial preparedness and contingency plan and creating a task force. The current focus is on revisiting and strengthening these measures and adhering to the protocols set in the National Zoning and Movement Plan on the movement of ASF.
Based on the latest zone status of the province, Carcar City is a red zone or the affected zone, while San Fernando, Aloguinsan, Barili, and Sibonga are pink or buffer zones, Pinamungahan, San Fernando, Naga, Dumanjog, and Argao are yellow or surveillance zones, and Alcantara, Moalboal, Badian, Dalaguete, Toledo City, Minglanilla, and Talisay City are light green protected zones. The rest of the Cebu towns and cities are in the green or free zones.
With the areas now being classified, Vincoy said it will be easier to detect if there will be a “spillover” or an instance when pigs get out of Carcar City. Contact tracing is also in place to determine the source, and veterinary health certificates should be originally issued and not photocopied.
Mar 10, 2023
