ILOILO City – To maintain Western Visayas’ being free from the African swine fever (ASF), coastal towns, particularly those in northern Iloilo province and Roxas City, must make sure that fishing boats and passenger vessels from the province of Masbate are not bringing in pork, pork products and byproducts, according to the Department of Agriculture (DA).
“Indi kita mag-lax sang aton pag-implement sang regulation and quarantine measures to prevent ASF’s entry,” said Director Remelyn Recoter.
ASF breached Masbate in February.
Region 6 has direct boat trips from Masbate via Capiz (Baybay in Roxas City) and Iloilo (Concepcion, Carles and Estancia towns).
ASF is a highly contagious hemorrhagic viral disease that spreads rapidly in pigs. There is no known vaccine against it yet.
Infected pigs die in two to 10 days, making ASF destructive to the swine industry.
Recoter said Agriculture secretary William Dar directed local government units (LGUs), the Philippine Coast Guard and Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources to have inspectors stationed in all of the region’s entry points.
“Hugot gid naton nga ginapatuman ang monitoring and inspection. This is an effective measure against the entry of ASF into the region,” Recoter said.
She lauded Gov. Esteban Contreras of Capiz and Gov. Arthur Defensor Jr. of Iloilo for being active in this campaign.
On Feb. 13, Defensor issued an executive order adding Eastern Visayas to the territories whose swine, pork products and byproducts are banned from Iloilo.
“DA recently reported new ASF cases in Abuyog, Lapaz and Javier in the province of Leyte, Eastern Visayas and likewise in Barangay Luy-a, Aroroy, Masbate,” Defensor pointed out.
The governor also spelled out these additional protocols:
* All livestock transport carriers coming in and going out of Livestock “Oksyon” Market (LOM), Livestock Auction Market (LAM) and livestock holding facilities shall undergo thorough disinfection, and must carry updated disinfection clearance signed by the livestock technician or any authorized personnel.
* All couriers/forwarders are enjoined from transporting/delivering into the province the aforementioned products sourced from Luzon, Mindanao, Eastern Visayas, and areas affected by ASF as may be declared by the DA.
The temporary ban on the entry of pork and other by-products, Defensor clarified, also covered those sourced from the countries of Latvia, Poland, Romania, Russia, Ukraine, Luxembourg, Belgium, Bulgaria, Moldova, Czech Republic, South Africa, Zambia, Hong Kong, Mongolia, Vietnam, Cambodia, Myanmar, Lao People’s Democratic Republic, South Korea, and China.
Those sourced from Luzon, Mindanao, Eastern Visayas in the Philippines, including their island provinces, and from other localities identified and declared by the DA as ASF-hit have also been banned.
The ban will last until the country is declared ASF-free, Defensor stressed.
The governor also ordered LGUs in coastal areas to beef up their watch.
“The municipalities of Ajuy, Anilao, Balasan, Banate, Barotac Nuevo, Barotac Viejo, Batad, Carles, Concepcion, Dumangas, Estancia, and San Dionisio, especially their island barangays, are hereby enjoined to closely monitor the possible entry of swine, swine semen, pork, pork products and by-products from the Masbate area,” Defensor said./PN
