ANTIQUE – The Sangguniang Bayan of Hamtic placed the town under a state of calamity due to African Swine Fever (ASF).
On Thursday, June 22, a special session was held after 28 of the 47 barangays recorded the hog disease.
Some 1,787 hog deaths due to ASF were recorded, with losses pegged at P16,977,500 as of June 21.
The 28 ASF-hit barangays are Pu-ao, Calala, Guintas, Caridad, EBJ, Poblacion 1, Poblacion 4, Funda, Poblacion 3, Dangcalan, Linaban, Ingwan-Batangan, Budbudan, Piapi I, Villavert-Jimenez, Asluman, Piapi II, Poblacion 2, Poblacion 5, Malandog, Mapatag, Bongbongan III, Bia-an, Igbical, Buhang, Nalihawan, Calacja, and Bonbongan I-II.
Following this, Mayor Julius Ronald Pacificador also issued an executive order dated June 23 to all barangays to implement ASF control measures based on the contingency plan set forth by the Bureau of Animal Industry.
“The current ASF incidents will have disastrous effects on the municipality’s swine industry. Drastic disease control and preventive measures will be implemented by local authorities,” stated the order.
It added: “To prevent similar cases, there is a necessity to implement effective and coordinated policies and strategies to manage, contain and control the spread of ASF in the municipality.”
All barangay officials were ordered to conduct active surveillance for unusual pig mortalities and immediately report the same to the Office of the Municipal Agriculturist, who shall conduct an investigation and request blood sampling for laboratory testing from the Provincial Veterinary Office or the Department of Agriculture.
For barangays with suspected ASF infections
* Pigs in suspected premises shall be subject to blood sampling for laboratory tests and, if found positive, shall be stamped out (culled). Pigs collected with blood for laboratory tests shall be quarantined, including pork, pork products or feeds. Likewise, no pig should be allowed to enter the suspected premises to prevent being affected.
* Sick animals in suspected premises shall not be allowed to be slaughtered.
* Apparently healthy pigs located within 500 meters from the nearest pig mortality can be slaughtered and sold but should not go beyond a 500-meter radius, provided a certification shall be issued by the Punong Barangay that the pig is apparently healthy.
On the other hand, apparently healthy pigs located beyond 500 meters from the nearest pig mortality can be slaughtered and marketed in the public market of Hamtic, provided a certification shall be issued by the Punong Barangay that the pig is apparently healthy before slaughter.
* Dead pigs should be buried properly in a safe place deep enough to provide at least six feet of coverage and shall not be thrown into bodies of water, rivers, creeks or irrigation canals.
* Suspected premises shall be disinfected by the concerned swine raisers/ breeders daily.
* The area with suspected ASF (with pig mortality) case shall not be allowed to transport live swine or pork outside a 500-meter radius from the mortality incident.
For barangays with positive ASF case
* All pigs tested positive for ASF shall be stamped out (culled) and buried properly. Culling shall be spearheaded by the Office of the Provincial Veterinarian, Office of the Municipal Agriculturist and other competent agencies and shall be assisted by the Philippine National Police, Bureau of Fire Protection, Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office, etc.
* Culled pigs shall be disposed of properly by burying in a safe place deep enough to provide at least six feet of covering and shall not be thrown into bodies of water, rivers, creeks or irrigation canals.
* To prevent the spread of the disease, a one-kilometer radius of the area with positive cases of ASF be put under strict quarantine.
* After culling, the infected and potentially infected premise must be disinfected by the concerned hog raisers/breeders daily for 30 days to kill the virus, which is very resistant in the environment outside the host.
* No restocking of piggeries shall be made unless the barangay is declared ASF- Free.
Meanwhile, all barangays without suspected or positive cases of ASF shall likewise establish checkpoints dubbed “BANTAY ASF” to monitor and regulate the entry of pigs, pork and pork-based products from suspected and positive barangays and exit of sick animals./PN
