• GILBERT P. BAYORAN
The ban on the entry of hogs and pork into Negros Occidental from areas affected by the African swine fever (ASF) remains in effect as the hog repopulation in the province is ongoing, Dr. Placeda Lemana, provincial veterinarian, said on Tuesday (Jan. 28).
Aside from highly-urbanized Bacolod City, other areas covered by the entry ban are Negros Oriental, islands of Panay, Guimaras, Bantayan and Camotes, Cebu province, Eastern Visayas, Mindanao, Luzon, and other countries affected with ASF as may be declared by the Department of Agriculture.
Exempted from the ban are processed pork products that are fully cooked such as ham, sausages, hotdogs, canned goods, pork chicharon, pork-based seasonings, and the like, provided these are sourced from meat establishments with certificate of compliance from the ASF Public-Private Audit.
“We want the province to fully recover from ASF,” Lemana said, adding that hog raisers continue to ship out pigs outside the province with Panay Island as among their markets.
In December last year, about 3,000 hogs were sold outside of Negros Occidental, with some of them being used as “breeders”.
On Tuesday, Lemana assisted Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson, Third District Board Members Manuel Frederick Ko and Andrew Montelibano in the distribution of 10 motorcycles to the Provincial Veterinary Office at the Provincial Capitol grounds in Bacolod City.
These will used by assigned personnel in the conduct of animal health monitoring, disease surveillance, emergency and quick response, and damage assessment under the Provincial Animal Biosecurity Program.
Hogs and cattle raisers as well as former rebels being assisted by the Philippine Army’s 94th Infantry Battalion received various projects amounting to P2.3 million. | GB
