A graphic card circulating online claims that President Ferdinand Marcos has signed an executive order banning meat importation. This is fake.
On Oct. 12, a Facebook user posted the graphic card bearing a photo of Marcos holding a supposed copy of the signed document. The same user shared the card in an FB group of hog raisers.
The text on the graphic read:
“SIMULA NGAYONG ARAW NA ITO WALA NG IMPORTATION NA KARNE SA ATING BANSA, UMPISAHAN NA ANG PAGTAAS NG PRESYO NG LW NA BABOY
(Starting today, there will be no importation of meat in our country, the price of LW [liveweight] pork will increase).”
According to the caption, the supposed ban on meat imports follows the issuance of an executive order by Marcos.
A review of official records from the websites of the Official Gazette and the Presidential Communications Office, where issuances from the president are published, does not show any executive order imposing a ban on meat imports this year.
In contrast, the latest directive that Marcos signed on the matter was EO No. 116 dated May 19, which increased the country’s minimum pork import quota for 2026 from 54,210 to 204,210 metric tons, in response to supply shortage and rising prices.
On Aug. 28, the Department of Agriculture issued Department Circular 46 banning the importation of live animals and meat products susceptible to foot-and-mouth disease, but this restriction applies only to 23 countries.
The graphic card bore signs of artificial intelligence use, including the illegible text in the document and the absence of an EO number. AI detection tools Hive moderation, SightEngine and AIorNot flagged the card as likely generated by AI.
The fake post surfaced days after more than 30 groups of local hog raisers urged the government to raise pork import tariffs and limit shipments to curb sinking farmgate prices.
The groups are pushing to restore tariff rates for in-quota pork imports to 30% and out-quota imports to 40%. They also proposed restricting pork meat imports for up to 200 days starting this month of October.
Published by an FB user, the two fake posts collectively garnered 1,131 reactions; 11 comments; and 435 shares.
