ANTI-ASF CAMPAIGN. Dr. Willian Medrano, Department of Agriculture Undersecretary for Livestock, explains via teleconferencing the agency's interventions to combat African swine fever on Saturday (Feb. 13, 2021) in Cagayan de Oro City. Medrano is joined by DA Secretary William Dar to oversee the situation in the city and neighboring towns in Misamis Oriental province after ASF contamination was detected on Feb. 10, 2021. (Screengrab courtesy of Cagayan de Oro City Information Office)
CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY--The Department of Agriculture (DA) directed Northern Mindanao's local governments on Saturday to activate local barangay units to help enforce the African swine fever (ASF) protocols among backyard hog raisers.
Dr. William Medrano, DA's Undersecretary for Livestock, said the agency's "Bantay ASF sa Barangay" seeks to establish a mechanism in which local government units (LGUs) tap village officials in the government's anti-ASF campaign and avail if the agency's programs and training as well as funds, equipment, and technical assistance.
"There's a need to intensify the role of the local governments, especially in the barangay levels. The barangays are considered as front-liners, the first responders in cases of (ASF) outbreaks," Medrano said.
He was joined Saturday by DA chief William Dar in visiting ASF-affected areas in the two barangays here and two Misamis Oriental towns.
Their visit came after DA-Region 10 director Carlene Collado announced Wednesday that ASF was detected among serum tests from the swine of the backyard raisers in Barangay Jampason, Initao, Misamis Oriental; Barangay Pagawan, Manticao, Misamis Oriental; and also in Barangays Mambuaya and San Simon in this city.
As a result, Collado said the ASF-affected swine within the 500-meter radius where the infection was first reported would be culled.
He said indemnification assistance worth PHP5,000 per hog would be given to the affected raisers.
Both Cagayan de Oro City Mayor Oscar Moreno and Misamis Oriental Governor Yevgeny Vicente Emano also committed to giving an additional PHP2,000 per head as a counterpart to the DA's assistance.
Currently, Collado said around 250 pigs have been culled from the two barangays, and another 264 is scheduled in the incoming days.
He said the transport of clean swine and pork products remains unhampered as long as they pass inspection standards. (PNA)
