Panglao imposes curfew

For minors starting Jan 2

TAGBILARAN CITY, Bohol, Jan 3 (PIA)—Possibly the first local government to safeguard its young especially with the bustling nightlife that could certainly affect its minors, the Municipality of Panglao under mayor Edgardo Arcay imposes curfew hours for minors, from 9:00 PM to 4:00 AM.

Crafted as a reiteration of existing ordinances, specifically Municipal Ordinance No. 9, series of 2020 and Municipal Ordinance No. 8, series of 1993, Executive Order No. 1 series of 2025, reinforces the established guidelines for the observance of curfew hours for minors here.

The mayor believes it is necessary to reinforce these regulations to ensure compliance and enhance the safety of our youth as the local government recognizes the need for a unified approach to curfew enforcement and the importance of community cooperation.

With this, all minors residing or temporarily staying in Panglao observes the 9:00 PM to 4 AM curfew hours, except when they are on legitimate errands, or in community events that extend past the designated curfew hours.

Minors who are still outside but accompanied by parents or guardians, or in compelling circumstances as determined by law enforcement can also be exempt from the curfew.

According to the EO, the observance of curfew shall not apply during Christmas Day, New Year’s Day, Holy Week and other celebrations as determined by the Sangguniang Kabataan (SK).

To be exempted, individuals with errands that go beyond curfew hours have to secure a curfew pass signed by the Municipal Mayor and the Panglao Chief of Police.

Violations against the Executive Order would be based on Municipal Ordinance No. 8, series of 1993 and Municipal Ordinance No. 9, series of 2020, according to the mayor.

With this too, the Philippine National Police, Panglao Transportation Management Office, Barangay Captains, and Barangay Tanods are to see to it that the order is implemented.

The order took effect January 2, 2025. (PIABohol)

Aris creates ASF inspectorate

team to implement ordinance

TAGBILARAN CITY, Dec 27 (PIA)—The past may have been happy days for those who, despite the effective ordinance that bans and penalizes the transport, possession and importation of live pig and pork products from African Swine Fever affected areas, continue to successfully smuggle in these products endangering the local industry, 2025 may not be a good to them.

Governor Erico Aristotle Aumentado, through Executive Order No 44, series of 2024, has created a composite inspectorate and enforcement team to implement the revised ASF Ordinance of 2022 and other related laws and issuances.

EO No 44 creates the ASF composite Inspectorate and Enforcement Team to conduct regular inspection and monitoring of registered and unregistered meat establishments, street food and ambulant vendors as per Republic Act 9296 and Republic Act 10611 and assure its documentation.

They are now tasked to confiscate all products prohibited under the Revised Bohol ASF prevention Ordinance and dispose of these in accordance with the laws, rules and procedures, facilitate the filing of appropriate administrative fines and initiate the filing of complaints in the enforcement of judicial proceedings.

The inspectorate Team is led by OIC Provincial Veterinarian Dr, Maydallen PAMAN, DVM, agricultural technologist and National Meat Inspection (NMI) Section’s Karen Ann Tejada, OPV Animal Health Division chief Dr. Christopher Tanduyan DVM, NMI service Senior Meat Control, veterinarian Shiela Cepedoza, Bureau of Animal industry Veterinary Quarantne Officer Dr. Maria Eleonore Abisado, Department of Agriculture focal for Bohol Donald Joy Ejorpe, PNP Bohol Decputy Chief of Operations PMAj Joseph Lopena, Provincial Legal Office’s Atty Alona Cristal, Food and Drugs Authority Field Operations Officer Irish Samar, Environment and Sanitation Head of the Provincial Health Office Engr Asuncion Udtohan and OPV designated meat inspector Brandon Paul Tahil.

Romulo Garcia, supervising agriculturist at the Office of the Provincial Veterinarian (OPV) shared this at the Kapihan sa PIA recently, adding that there is a huge possibility that the ASF incursions that happened in Bohol are caused initially by smuggled processed food from ASF affected areas.

Even veterinarian Dr. Domino Bayron also believes that the unabated smuggling of processed meat and selling them here could have triggered the outbreak in San Vicente Pilar.

Dr. Bayron, who also led the tracing of the disease history and contact tracing supervised month-long quarantine in the barangay, where the first documented ASF in Bohol emerged.

There, the virus which has caused the death of local pigs and the depopulation of the swine within the 100-meter radius of the pigpen where the index case was documented, was successfully contained until it was eliminated by daily disinfection.

The provincial veterinarian and now retired, Dr Stella Marie Lapiz, has also asked for help in curbing the online sales of raw meat and processed pork in chorizo, longaniza and hams, which has entered Bohol, from unknown sources.

Provincial Ordinance No 2022-011 or the Revised Bohol ASF Prevention Ordinance of 2022, prohibits and declares illegal transporting, carrying and possessing or importing of live pigs, pork and pork products, frozen swine semen, swine feeds and processed porcine animal protein by any person, in whatever quantity especially of there are from ASF infected areas.

With the outbreak of the severely fatal to pig disease in Cebu and in other parts of the country, the Bohol Inter-agency ASF Task Force implemented strict border control measures in airports and major seaports, deployed Veterinary Quarantine Inspectors and sniffing dogs, to discourage the transport and incursion of infected meat or products.

To completely guard the porous boundaries, Bohol institutionalized the Bantay ASF sa Barangay especially in island and coastal barangays to insulate Bohol from unwarranted entry of these suspected meat or products.

However, apparently, some of the illegal products, which also make up for the best pasalubong from Cebu, are still smuggled in, thus the need for the inspectorate team to implement the ASF Prevention Ordinance. (RAHC/PIA-7/Bohol)

SCOUTING FOR HAM? When Bohol still continues to ban pork ham from areas infected with ASF, for the holidays, veterinary authorities suggest chicken and beef ham instead, to keep the tradition. (PIABohol)