ANTIQUE – To ensure that the province of Antique be African Swine Fever (ASF) free and the swine industry be protected they implemented strict and border protocols.
The provincial government through the Office of the Provincial Veterinarian (PROVET) implemented strict veterinary quarantine procedures and food safety measures on swine pork, pork products, and by-products whether fresh, frozen, processed, or cooked to enter the province of Antique, specifically, from the provinces identified by Department of Agriculture (DA) with ASF positive, which was started in Executive Order 139 of issued by Governor Rhodora Cadiao, last 2019.
Last February 3, 2022, PROVET also established an ASF border checkpoint in the municipality of Anini-y to ensure that there is no pork products from outside Western Visayas will enter the province.
This drive was also a support to the Provincial Ordinance No. 2020-242 authored by Sangguniang Panlalawigan Members Fernando Corvera and Victor Condez dated November 19, 2020, which prohibits the entry of any pig, boar semen, pork, and pork products into the province.
In the recent interview with Provincial Veterinarian Dr. Florencio Macuja, he said that they will be putting up checkpoints at every point of entry including in Brgy. Villavert-Jimenez in Hamtic in the south while towns of Pandan and Libertad in the north.
As of now, Antique and the whole of Western Visayas are still in a green zone or safe zone areas from the ASF. Even, some of the neighboring regions in the country have reported having an increased number of ASF contamination.
Moreover, PROVET continues to monitor various grocery stores and wet markets in respective municipalities in the province.
Also, PROVET appealed to the Antiqueños not to purchase pork products online to help the province to still become ASF-free. (with a report from the province of Antique)/PN
