- CHERYL G. CRUZ
Several local government units in Negros Occidental have intensified border control and biosecurity measures in the continued campaign against the dreaded African swine fever and other hog diseases.
The Sipalay city government said May 30 that its Veterinary Office personnel seized and burned about P22,615 worth of pork products from Bacolod City and Cebu.
“Ang pork products nga wala sang label ang gin sunog sang personnel sang City Veterinary Office sa kabangdanan nga ini nga mga produkto nag halin sa lugar nga infected sang African Swine Fever. Ang mga produkto naghalin sa Cebu kag Bacolod nga gin dala sang tatlo ka persona sa siyudad,” the city said in a post, adding that the destruction is based on Joint Executive Order No. 1, series of 2023.
Bacolod Mayor Alfredo Benitez Friday said two cases of ASF were logged in Barangay Taculing, based on initial testing conducted by the Department of Agriculture in the region.
The Sipalay CVO, meanwhile, is accepting applications for swine mortality insurance, the city announced as it encourages raisers to apply for insurance.
The CVO also conducted ASF monitoring and inventory of pork products and newly-slaughtered meats at the Sipalay Public Market, San Jose Public Market, Camindangan Sari-Sari Store, Nabulao Sari-Sari Store.
Recipients of the swine dispersal program and hog raisers were also recently oriented on ASF.
City Veterinarian, Dr. Rosalina Paderog, discussed the restrictions and guidelines on ASF prevention, control measures, and biosecurity practices, and asked the raisers to report the status of their animals for updating and monitoring.
Provincial Veterinary Office district coordinator, Jessie Selga, also informed the hog raisers that the extremely high heat index may cause low immunity to livestock and poultry resulting in aggravated trans-boundary diseases, such as ASF, hog cholera, and bird flu, the city said.
In Sagay, the CVO said it reinstalled the animal quarantine checkpoint at Hda. San Agustin in Brgy. Paraiso, in line with the executive order issued by Mayor Narciso Javelosa Jr. banning the entry to Sagay of live pigs, boar semen, pork, pork products and related food items from places hit by ASF, and those without the necessary travel/shipping documents from areas of origin.
The Sagay City Veterinary Services Office Meat Enforcement Team also confiscated an estimated 25 kilos of unsafe pork. A condemnation slip was issued to the violators due to discoloration, poor handling, and unpleasant odor of meat, the CVO said.
It also intensified routine surveillance and inspection on wet markets, including meat shops, stalls, refrigerated vans, other transport vehicles, and online meat selling transactions.
The Talisay City government installed border checkpoints in several points of entry from Bacolod City and Silay City as one way to strengthen animal biosecurity against ASF and other trans-boundary animal diseases.
Personnel manning the 24/7 border checkpoints will allow only pigs and pork and related products with veterinary health certificates to pass through.
The checkpoints, that started May 25, and will continue for the next three months are located in Barangay Zone 15 (Wilcon), Barangay Zone 15, (Circumferential Road), Barangay Concepcion (Hacienda Handumanan), and Barangay Cabatangan (Arceo-Cabatangan), all from Bacolod side; and in Barangay Zone 16 (Sagrado II), Barangay Bubog (Highway), Barangay Efigenio Lizares (Circumferential Road), and Barangay Dos Hermanas (Hda. De Fuego I), bordering Silay City.
In E. B. Magalona, Mayor Marvin Malacon reconvened the Municipal Anti-African Swine Fever and Other Animal Diseases Task Force May 29, amid reports of ASF detection in Bacolod City./CGC
