PORK BAN. Silago, Southern Leyte Mayor Lemuel Honor. The official issued on Dec. 27 an executive order declaring a month-long pork holiday in 11 of its 15 villages due to the presence of African Swine Fever. (Photo courtesy of local government)
TACLOBAN CITY – The local government of Silago, Southern Leyte has issued an executive order declaring a month-long pork holiday in 11 of its 15 villages due to the presence of African swine fever (ASF).
“There is an emergency situation, and we must protect the hog industry in our town from this dreaded swine disease. The ASF has already reached and affected most of our villages,” Mayor Lemuel Honor said in his order.
The directive affects the villages of Katipunan, Imelda, Hingatungan, Salvacion, Laguma, Tuba-on, Tubod, Poblacion District 1, Poblacion District 2, Puntana and part of Sudmon. These communities have ASF cases monitored by the municipal agriculture office.
“Slaughtering of hogs and selling of pork and other pork products from the affected barangay is strictly prohibited,” the EO read.
Entry and exit of live hogs from affected areas are also prohibited from the declared period of time or until such time that the municipal agriculture office recommends the lifting of the pork holiday.
The local government had set up checkpoints to enforce the mayor’s directive.
In 2021, Silago town was among the local government units in Eastern Visayas with a confirmed ASF outbreak, according to the Department of Agriculture.
ASF is a highly contagious and deadly viral disease affecting swine and hogs and can be transmitted through direct contact with infected animals and non-direct contact like swill feeding, transporting, mating, slurry, and through vectors such as soft ticks and flies.
ASF-affected pigs usually manifest high fever, distinct reddish areas on the skin of the neck, chest and extremities, and bleeding of internal organs that could lead to death within two to 10 days.
Precautionary measures that can be taken to prevent the spread of ASF include disinfecting the vehicles and equipment used to transport the hogs; regularly checking the hogs by an expert to ensure their health; maintaining the sanitation of the surroundings; avoiding swill feeding; and proper disposal of the manure of the infected hogs. (PNA)
