• CHERYL G. CRUZ
The Veterinary Office of Sagay said the city has been certified free of the dreaded African swine fever (ASF), as per latest laboratory results from the Animal Disease Diagnosis and Reference Laboratory (ADDRL) of the Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI).
“The City of Sagay, with 25 barangays, received the Recognition of Active Surveillance on African Swine Fever (RAS-ASF) with proven negative ASF laboratory test results from the BAI,” the CVO said.
The certification was issued Feb. 27 and valid until May 16, 2024. “This certificate may be revoked upon any reported evidence of confirmed ASF incursion, and will be suspended until the ASF case is resolved.”
Surveillance was conducted Feb. 16 in barangays Andres Bonifacio, Bato, Baviera, Bulanon, Campo Himoga-an, Colonia Divina, Fabrica, General Luna, Himoga-an Baybay, Lopez Jaena, Malubon, Maquiling, Molocaboc, Old Sagay, Paraiso, Plaridel, Poblacion 1, Poblacion 2, Puey, Rizal, Rafael Barrera, Sewahon 1, Taba-ao, Tadlong, and Vito, with 306 total farm population and 1,112 pigs’ population, it added.
The Sagay City Veterinary Office, headed by city veterinarian, Dr. Modesto Joseph Cañonero III, has been in the forefront of protecting the city from this deadly swine disease and will continue to enforce measures to maintain the ASF-free status, the CVO said in a statement.
The CVO Meat Enforcement Team personnel, meanwhile, have been regularly conducting routine surveillance and inspection on several wet markets, including all meatshops, stalls, refrigerated vans, other transport vehicles, as well as online meat selling transactions.
Meat from unauthorized slaughter were confiscated in compliance with the Meat Inspection Code of the Philippines, or Republic Act 9296, and in support to the National Meat Inspection Service (NMIS) Western Visayas program on meat safety and public health.
The CVO reminded Sagaynons anew to always secure a permit from the City Veterinary Office prior to slaughter. | CGC
