Traders warned vs illegal hog shipments into Bohol amid ASF scare

Authorities have warned against unscrupulous traders attempting to sneak undocumented hogs into Bohol province. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO TAGBILARAN CITY, Bohol — Authorities have warned against unscrupulous traders attempting to sneak undocumented hogs into Bohol province. The warning came as law enforcers intercepted 40 undocumented hogs from Cebu that were shipped into Bohol through Getafe town, the second such incident within a week. The unauthorized shipment was intercepted on July 19 along the shoreline of Barangay San Jose, Getafe, after authorities received information about the arrival of an illegal livestock shipment. Article continues after this advertisement READ: Cebu bans hog, pork shipments from Negros, other ASF-hit areas A joint enforcement team composed of personnel from the Municipal Agriculture Office of Getafe, the Philippine Coast Guard, the Philippine National Police, and barangay officials found the animals being loaded onto an unregistered livestock transport carrier. An investigation showed that the pigs had been transported from Cebu without the required African Swine Fever (ASF)-negative laboratory test results and the mandatory shipping permit issued by the Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI), making the shipment a violation of existing veterinary quarantine regulations. The animals were immediately placed under official custody at the interim veterinary quarantine holding facility in Getafe while the claimed owner was given 24 hours to present the missing documents. When the owner failed to comply within the prescribed period, the Office of the Provincial Veterinarian (OPV) issued a Notice of Violation and Confiscation Receipt on July 20. Article continues after this advertisement All 40 confiscated pigs were later humanely depopulated and buried in accordance with Provincial Ordinance No. 2025-034 and established biosecurity protocols to prevent the possible spread of ASF. READ: Negros Oriental bans hogs, pork products from ASF-hit areas Article continues after this advertisement Authorities also supervised the cleaning and disinfection of the transport vehicle before releasing it to its registered owner on July 21, without prejudice to possible regulatory action by the BAI Veterinary Quarantine Service. The OPV classified the shipment as high veterinary risk, underscoring the province’s strict implementation of border control and disease prevention measures to protect Bohol’s livestock industry. The latest seizure comes just days after authorities confiscated 35 illegally transported piglets in Getafe on July 15, highlighting intensified border surveillance against the entry of potentially ASF-infected animals into the province. Bohol has also implemented a 60-day temporary ban on the entry of live pigs, pork, and pork products from Negros Island. The restriction, which took effect on July 3, 2026, was imposed through Executive Order No. 28 issued by Governor Erico Aristotle Aumentado to protect the province’s swine industry from the ASF threat. The operation is part of the continuing enforcement of Aumentado’s directive to strengthen border security under the province’s Strategic Governance Roadmap for resilient agriculture. Your subscription could not be saved. Please try again. Your subscription has been successful. It also reinforces Executive Order No. 28, Series of 2026, which mandates stricter veterinary quarantine, border surveillance, and biosecurity measures to prevent the entry of ASF, safeguard Bohol’s hog industry, ensure food security, and protect the livelihoods of local hog raisers./coa