The Albay provincial government has enacted a temporary prohibition on the entry of live hogs, pork, and related products originating from neighboring Camarines Sur to guard against African swine fever (ASF).
Governor Noel Rosal issued Executive Order No. NER-050, series of 2026, aimed at protecting local livestock and preventing the viral disease from penetrating the province.
The preventive measure follows an August 20 confirmation by the Department of Agriculture (DA) Bicol regional office that ASF cases had re-emerged across two cities and two towns in Camarines Sur.
Under the executive order’s first section, all swine, raw pork, and processed pork goods from Camarines Sur are strictly forbidden from entering Albay. Any intercepted shipments will either be confiscated or turned back to their point of origin.
Rosal noted that the directive reinforces Provincial Ordinance No. 0035-2020, also known as the Anti-African Swine Fever Ordinance of the Province of Albay of 2020, as infection sites expand in the adjacent province.
Albay currently maintains an ASF-free status, prompting local authorities to escalate biosecurity protocols.
DA-Bicol identified blood sample confirmations of ASF in Naga City, Iriga City, and Nabua, Camarines Sur through tests conducted at its Regional Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory. In response, affected local government units have initiated containment procedures, including culling, disease surveillance, heightened sanitation, and strict movement controls.
To oversee the response, the Provincial Task Force for Animal Disease Emergencies is being reconstituted to guide policy, issue advisories, monitor control efforts, and coordinate emergency measures across municipalities.
Meanwhile, the Albay Veterinary Office has been instructed to execute the governor’s order in compliance with standing DA regulations.