BY GILBERT P. BAYORAN/ADRIAN P. NEMES III
Negros Occidental remains free of the African swine fever, Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson said yesterday.
Lacson said the ASF task force, which is now on its second year of existence, succeeded in prevention of ASF from setting foot in the province.
“Obviously, this has benefitted our hog raisers. So much so that we may be able to supply again the big market in Metro Manila,” he added.
Lacson said he got reports from Provincial Veterinarian Renante Decena that backyard growers are qualified now as commercial growers, that would tell us, the business is good.
With the committed efforts and support of all concerned, Negros Occidental has achieved its collective goal of protecting Negrenses and the multi-billion swine industry of the province, he stressed.
“Our prompt and timely action in enacting the ASF Prevention Ordinance and the creation of the ASF Task Force to take the lead in the implementation and enforcement of our ASF prevention and control measures, contributed substantially to our success,” Lacson added.
ASF THREAT
Decena admitted that there is still an ASF threat from adjacent provinces of Leyte and Mindanao. For us, he said, we sustain the campaign, where our hog raisers gained much from this.
For the first time in the history of the swine industry, three provinces in the Visayas, including Cebu, Negros and Iloilo, are the main source of hogs. Decena said, adding that Negros Occidental ranked number one in swine production in Region 6, and number four in the Philippines.
In the livestock industry, Decena also said Negros Occidental is still number one in carabao and goat production, and number two all over the country.
Being a supplier of swine products, especially in Metro Manila, Lacson said there is still a need to be more vigilant, stressing that one mistake of the entry of ASF is “very hard to control”.
He said that the ASF Task Force is committed to keep Negros Occidental ground safer, in making sure that no beef or pork products will enter the province from areas considered as “red zones”.
FERRER THANKED
Lacson also thanked Vice Gov. Jeffrey Ferrer, Board Member Andrew Montelibano, SP Committee chairman on Agriculture, and all the Sangguniang Panlalawigan members, for their prompt action and solid and unequivocal support to the initiative of the province.
He also commended the PVO for the effective provision of support on the enforcement and implementation of the provincial ordinance, and the well-ordered coordination with the LGUs, government regulatory agencies, and the industry stakeholders.
The provincial government of Negros Occidental, meanwhile, opened its artificial swine insemination laboratory center in Brgy. Gahi, EB Magalona, to increase the productivity of swine raisers in the 3rd district of Negros Occidental.
Lacson and Decena, assisted by Montelibano, distributed yesterday certificates of recognition to local government units, cities of Cadiz, San Carlos and Kabankalan, as well as Moises Padilla and Hinobaan towns, Negros Occidental Police Provincial Office, PNP Aviation Security Command, Philippine Coast Guard and the Maritime Command, Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines, among others, who contributed a lot to the accomplishment of ASF Task Force, in the past two years.
COMMENDATION
Decena said the awardees received plaques of commendation for the 2-year accomplishment of the ASF Task Force since its creation on July 26, 2019.
Immediately, after the confirmation by the Department of Agriculture of the first outbreak in the Philippines of ASF in July 2019, the provincial government created the ASF Task Force resulting in the deployment of permanent personnel and hiring of additional casuals and job orders deployed to all ports and boundaries of the province.
Decena said that since then, 22,428.70 kilograms of pork, valued at P8.6 million, had been seized.
Of the number, 12,804.41 kilograms were shipped back to their origin while the rest were burned, he said.
SPREAD OF CASES
The DA said ASF cases had been reported in Luzon, Mindanao, Leyte and Samar Islands, spreading to 12 regions, 46 provinces, 493 cities and municipalities, and 2,561 barangays nationwide and causing the loss of over three million pigs.*
