- CHERYL G. CRUZ
The Talisay City government has installed border checkpoints in several points of entry in Bacolod City and Silay City as Mayor Neil Lizares orders the strengthening of animal biosecurity against the African swine fever and other trans-boundary animal diseases.
The city said that 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.
The points of entry from Silay, including Barangay Zone 16 (Sagrado II), Barangay Bubog (Highway), Barangay Efigenio Lizares (Circumferential Road), and Barangay Dos Hermanas (Hda. De Fuego I) are also guarded, the city said.
A thorough disinfection of backyard swine pens in Talisay will also be conducted as one preventive measure, while assistance will be given to affected hog raisers.
In his executive order, Lizares stressed the need “to screen and inspect incoming hogs, and pork and pork products, into the city to lessen the risk of infections of trans-boundary animal diseases”.
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.
Malacon is set to issue an EO for stricter border control on the entry of pigs, pork, and pork-processed products from neighboring local government units in Negros Occidental, as well as from the provinces of Negros Oriental, Cebu, and Iloilo, except for those from commercial farms observing provincial or national bio-security compliance requirements.
Part of this policy is the putting up of more strategic checkpoints in the highway, seaport, and other points of entry to prevent the entry and transport of infected or contaminated swine, a press release from the town LGU said.
Malacon will also create another task force on the disposal of dead swine, and form a decontamination team to handle these cases, it added.
The Sangguniang Bayan is also expected to pass an ordinance prohibiting the selling of double-dead meat in the main public markets and in market stalls, the press release added./CGC
