BAGUIO CITY, Philippines — The town of Bontoc in Mountain Province has temporarily banned hogs and pork products coming from lowland municipalities — particularly Cervantes, Ilocos Sur — amid a rise in cases of African Swine Fever (ASF).
In an advisory, Bontoc Mayor Jerome Tudlong Jr. warned of an uptrend in cases of ASF in backyard farms of Cervantes, adding that the virus is spreading fast in nearby areas.
“To prevent further spread of this disease and to help protect the livelihood of our swine raisers against the re-infection of ASF in our municipality, the entry of live swine/pigs, pork, locally processed pork products and by- products from the said area is hereby temporarily suspended," Tudlong said.
Last July, authorities detected ASF in a barangay in Cervantes, prompting other towns in Ilocos Sur to block entry of pigs and pork products from that municipality. Among them was the Provincial Government of Benguet, which temporarily banned hogs and swine products from Cervantes on July 24.
Earlier this month, Abra and the town of Bauko in Mountain Province followed suit.
Checkpoints have been set up in the boundaries of Ilocos Sur and nearby provinces. On August 12, three hog traders were intercepted at the boundaries.