ILOILO City – Livestock transport carriers or hog vans are now required to present disinfection certificate or African swine free (ASF) certificate from their point of origin before they are permitted to enter the province of Iloilo.
The measure is embodied in Provincial Ordinance No. 2021-250 entitled “An Ordinance Banning the Entry of Livestock Transport Carriers and Hog Vans to the Province of Iloilo Without Disinfection Certificate and/or African Swine Fever-Free Certificate From the Point of Origin or Port of Exit and Live Pig, Boar Semen, Pork and Pork Products Including Food Items Containing Pork Originating From Manufactured and/or Processed in Areas Affected by African Swine Fever (ASF), as Declared by the Department of Agriculture (DA), and Providing Funds Thereof” passed by the 13th Sangguniang Panlalawigan during its regular session on March 23, 2021.
Also, the ordinance mandates airline company or shipping company to present ASF-free certificate of the pork products that they bought for the consumption of their employees or passengers and the pork products must be from ASF-free places.
The leftover, with pork or pork product, should not be disposed at the port or at the airport of Iloilo and must be disposed 30 meters away or more from the shoreline or port.
Further, the ordinance requires airplanes and ships to have a foot bath in their entrance and exit.
The ASF Task Force has an apprehension team which can confiscate pork or pork product upon inspection of the baggage or cargo, especially if it has no ASF-free certificate or declaration of no ASF contamination.
“The 13th Iloilo SP has felt a sigh of relief after the ordinance was passed because we could now assure the protection of the province against the entry of African swine fever and the immediate approval of the ordinance was done because of the leadership of Vice Governor Christine Garin and the cooperation of the board members,” said 3rd District Board Member Matt Palabrica, author of the ordinance, in a press report released by the Sangguniang Panlalawigan of Iloilo.
Palabrica said the Provincial Veterinary Office was waiting for the approval of the ordinance because it would strengthen their implementation and monitoring against ASF. With the passage of the measure, the Iloilo Provincial Government has the power to confiscate or to deny the entry of contaminated product, to dispose of confiscated product, and to impose penalty on the violators of the ordinance.(PIA)
