Dumanjug mayor apologizes for roasting, distributing seized hogs

Local

DUMANJUG Mayor Gungun Gica has apologized to the people of Negros after the recent roasting of around 80 undocumented hogs seized by authorities in his town last October 26.

The apology follows concerns raised by the public, including a Cebuano veterinarian about the rising number of ‘smuggled’ hogs reportedly brought in from Negros Island to meet the demand for cheaper lechon supplies as the holiday season nears.

Gica explained that the town faced storage limitations for seized animals, which prompted the decision to roast and distribute the hogs instead.

"I would admit naa sad koy kasaypanan (I have made a mistake)," Gica admitted.

In previous situations, seized animals would have been sent back to their place of origin.

However, current regulations issued by Cebu Governor Gwendolyn Garcia now permit the disposal of confiscated hogs under certain conditions.

"Sa akong nasabtan pwede nimong ilabay...maong nakadesider ko nga akong ipanghatag, (My understanding was that it could be disposed of... so I decided to distribute it)," he added.

In response to the incident, Gica organized a meeting with pig traders from Negros to discuss coordinated actions to prevent future cases of illegal hog entry into Cebu.

Additionally, he plans to mobilize barangay officials in coastal areas to monitor unauthorized livestock shipments more closely.

Concerns over hog smuggling were initially raised in an interview with a daily paper by Dr. Alice Utlang, chief of the Cebu City Department of Veterinary Medicine and Fisheries, who noted the relatively low price of live hogs in Negros, around P120-P140 per kilo, compared to Cebu’s P180 per kilo.

The province enforces strict regulatory measures, including Executive Order 7, which requires veterinary health certificates and negative ASF test results for hog shipments to prevent African swine fever (ASF) spread and protect Cebu’s hog industry.

These restrictions have contributed to increased smuggling attempts, as legal shipping permits are challenging to secure.(MyTVCebu)