BIOSECURITY MEASURE. Personnel of Provincial African swine fever (ASF) Task Force of Negros Occidental set up additional biosecurity measures at the Bacolod-Silay Airport in June. The province has remained ASF-free amid the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) pandemic, a report from the Provincial Veterinary Office said on Thursday (July 9, 2020). (File photo courtesy of Provincial ASF Task Force-Negros Occidental)
BACOLOD CITY – Negros Occidental has remained free from African swine fever (ASF) amid the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) pandemic thus ensuring the safety of its multi-billion swine industry.
This was confirmed by the Provincial Veterinary Office (PVO) in its accomplishment report, which included the highlights of its actions to prevent and control the entry ASF in the province.
As of Thursday, the task force has intercepted 3.3 tons of pork and its by-products prohibited in the province, with an estimated total market value of PHP4.67 million.
Also, some 352 establishments in the province were inspected.
“Products found to contain pork were confiscated and burned in their respective local government units by virtue of Provincial Ordinance 2019-024 otherwise known as “The ASF Prevention Ordinance of Negros Occidental”, the PVO report said.
As part of the response, the task force installed an animal quarantine checkpoint in southern Negros, particularly in Barangay Hilamonan, Kabankalan City.
Together with the City of Kabankalan, it has operated the checkpoint to strengthen the veterinary inspection of all meat and meat-related products entering the province.
The task force station was also established at the New Bacolod-Silay Airport with the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines.
Negros Occidental, the country’s number one backyard hog producer, with a PHP6-billion swine industry, has enforced since September 18 the ban on the entry of pork and pork products from Luzon, where positive cases of ASF have been reported.
On November 26, Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson and Vice Governor Jeffrey Ferrer signed Provincial Ordinance 2019-024, otherwise known as “The ASF Prevention Ordinance of Negros Occidental”, to keep the province free from the virus.
Lacson also declared Negros Occidental as an ASF-free province under Provincial Board Resolution 1042.
In February this year, Negros Occidental also started to ban the entry of live pigs, pork, and pork-based products from Mindanao. (PNA)
