CEBU CITY, March 16 -- Vendors of "lechon" (roast pig) and "chicharon" (pork rind) in Carcar City on Thursday held a "food trip" to raise awareness that their products are safe to eat amid the detection of African swine fever (ASF) virus in three of its 15 barangays.

Mayor Mario Patrick Barcenas led officials in the activity to show locals and visitors that eating pork is safe, said ASF is not a zoonotic (infections that are spread between people and animals) disease that can affect humans.

Barcenas also cited that the cooperation of the hog raisers in the Barangays Can-asujan, Guadalupe and Poblacion 1 made the interventions done by the City Veterinary Office easier, especially in testing the suspected infected hogs.

He added that the...