BACOLOD City — The Bacolod City Government has not recorded any hog deaths within its jurisdiction despite growing concerns over swine mortalities reported in several local government units in southern Negros Occidental.
Mayor Greg Gasataya said the City Veterinary Office (CVO) is closely monitoring the situation to determine whether there are any suspected cases of African Swine Fever (ASF) in the city.
He added that the City Agriculture Office is coordinating with the CVO to ensure continuous surveillance and a prompt response should any suspected case arise.
“So far, there have been no reported hog deaths in the city, and we hope it stays that way,” Gasataya said.
Asked about the city’s preparedness in the event of a suspected ASF case, the mayor stressed the importance of verifying information before drawing conclusions.
“Let’s cross that bridge when we get there. We do not want to create unnecessary panic among the public,” he said.
Gasataya said authorities are focused on validating reports and gathering accurate information before taking further action, noting that national government agencies already have established protocols and preventive measures should ASF be confirmed in any area.
He also assured residents and hog raisers that the city government is prepared to provide assistance, including veterinary services and medication, if necessary.
Earlier, the Alliance of Hog Raisers Association of Negros Occidental (AHRANO) raised concerns over increasing pig deaths in several areas, including Himamaylan City, Kabankalan City, and the municipality of Ilog.
Additional cases have also been reported in Bago City and the municipalities of Pulupandan and Valladolid.
AHRANO President Ric Lauron said affected hogs reportedly exhibited symptoms such as fever and loss of appetite before eventually dying.
“Most of the affected pigs stopped eating until they died,” Lauron said, adding that the association has been closely monitoring the situation.
He said the pattern of hog deaths has alarmed local raisers and prompted calls for immediate preventive measures.
Some raisers suspect the deaths may be linked to African Swine Fever, a highly contagious viral disease affecting swine. However, Lauron clarified that there has been no official confirmation that ASF caused the reported mortalities.
He noted that both the Bureau of Animal Industry and the Negros Occidental Provincial Veterinary Office have yet to validate the cause of the deaths.
In the meantime, AHRANO is urging hog raisers to strengthen farm biosecurity measures by maintaining proper sanitation, restricting access to livestock facilities, and closely monitoring the health of their animals, particularly amid changing weather conditions that could increase stress on swine.
Authorities continue to investigate the cause of the hog deaths while maintaining heightened surveillance across affected areas.
Negros Occidental previously experienced a major ASF outbreak in 2023, when the disease spread across several cities and municipalities, resulting in the deaths of thousands of hogs and causing millions of pesos in losses to the local swine industry.
The outbreak affected thousands of hog raisers and prompted the implementation of strict biosecurity measures, animal movement restrictions, and repopulation programs by provincial authorities./PN
