The city government has declared a state of calamity to barangays affected by the African Swine Fever (ASF) in Calinan District.
In a special session yesterday, the city councilors approved the declaration as they also also allowed the release of P20 million as financial assistance to the affected hog growers.
The aid will be given to the affected Calinan barangays and within the one-kilometer radius that will be affected by the culling activities for them to cope with what they lost for a living. The ASF initially hit the barangays of Lamanan and Dominga.
Yesterday, ABS-CBN’s Mindanao TV Patrol reported that some hogs in the barangays of Lacson and Inayangan in Calinan District and in the barangay of Malagos in Baguio District are suffering the same symptoms.
Lacson is within the one-kilometer radius of Lamanan.
Inayangan and Malagos are within the seven-kilometer radius of both Lamanan and Dominga.
Councilor Bai Hundra Cassandra Dominique Advincula, representing the third district that includes the affected barangays, pushed for the measure as the city government requested for its urgency and necessity to aid the affected hog raisers.
The 2,714 hog raisers identified by the City Veterinarian’s Office (CVO) will be given the cash aid.
“Possible that tomorrow, we can immediately give this financial assistance to them,” said Advincula, the vice-chair of the council’s committee on finance, ways and means.
CVO head Dr. Cerelyn Pinili said the financial assistance will be given directly to the hog raisers.
For the pigelt (suckling), P1,500/head will be given to them.
For the growers or fatteners, P5,000/head or per kilo at 90/kilo, whichever is higher, will be compensated for the hog farmers.
“The 5,000/head will be given to the growers or fatteners. Or we will give them per kilo at 90/kilo, whichever is higher. If it’s higher or more than P5,000, then that will be given to them,” she clarified.
The Department of Agriculture (DA) will also give P5,000 to the affected hog farmers.
Pinili said that around 3,000 hogs will be included in the culling activities on Saturday. However, she did not disclosed any further specifications as to the identified culling place and the procedures taken except that they will sign some documents so that they can avail the assistance.
“This will be difficult and painful for the hog growers, especially those whose hogs are not affected, yet we still need to include them in the mandatory culling. That’s why we cannot divulge anymore details as to the culling activities,” she said.
The 3,000 hogs came from the two barangays and the areas within the one kilometer radius.
“Even those who are not affected with the ASF, as long as they are within the one kilometer radius, they will still be included in our mandatory culling,” she said.
Advincula said the culling must be done since the nature of the disease is contagious. She said that it might contaminate the whole area if the culling is not done immediately.
The city has imposed a total lockdown in the two barangays and the affected areas. No meat, live pigs or pork products can enter or be exported outside the said areas.
Quarantine are strictly implemented in entry points in the city.
Depopulated
Meanwhile, authorities in Don Marcelino, Davao Occidental have already depopulated 3,564 or 47 percent of the 7,551 total hog population in the province as of Thursday.
DA Regional Director Ricardo Oñate said the task force responding to the outbreak of ASF in Davao Occidental is targeting seven days of depopulating the affected areas.
Some areas in Davao Occidental such as Sta. Maria and Malita also have confirmed ASF cases.
Oñate said the regional animal disease task force is already activated to observe and monitor any cases of ASF in the region. Strengthened quarantine is also observed.
Swine raisers are reminded to observe and enhance biosecurity measures and promptly report any unusual animal deaths in their respective farms. It is highly encouraged to feed swill to these hogs as it can be a cause of the ASF disease.
The task force is composed of different regional agencies including local government units, National Meat Inspection Service (NMIS), Veterinary Quarantine Services (VQS), Department of Environment and Natural Resources, Disaster Risk Reduction and Management, Department of Education, the Philippine National Police and the Armed Forces of the Philippines. It also include the stakeholders and its members that will help in monitoring ASF cases all over the region.
Aside from the Regional Task Force on Animal diseases, the local government is strictly enforcing the affected areas to implement the “1-7-10 Protocol” to control and administer the ASF from spreading after the confirmatory test.
Quarantine checkpoints in several areas in Davao Occidental, including Sta. Maria, Malita and Jose Abad Santos, have been strengthened by the Provincial Local Government Unit (PLGU) through increasing work force and logistics.
Mayor Jose Jimmy Sagarino of Sulop, Davao del Sur accepted the request to temporarily ban the selling of swines to the market for 30 days to restrain further transmission of ASF in the area and other areas neighboring the region. (with reports from Ophelia Trixia Lou Colarte and Edenn Marie Aguanta/interns)
