BY DOMINIQUE GABRIEL G. BAÑAGA
BACOLOD City – Amid concerns over the spread of hog cholera and African Swine Fever (ASF), the Sangguniang Panlalawigan (SP) of Negros Occidental is pushing for an ordinance imposing harsh penalties to individuals or groups violating the province’s biosecurity measures.
Vice Gov. Jeffrey Ferrer said they are conducting a public hearing to amend Provincial Ordinance 2019-024 Series of 2019, or ASF Prevention Ordinance.
The public hearing is led by SP committee on agriculture chairman, 3rd District Provincial Board member Andrew Montelibano.
Negros Occidental’s ASF ordinance was passed in 2019. An amendment is needed to introduce harsher penalties, as well as for updating biosecurity measures, said Ferrer.
At present, officials overseeing the province’s anti-ASF measures are only allowed to seize hogs and pork products in port facilities without imposing penalties.
In Bago City, Mayor Nicholas Yulo announced they will penalize hog raisers improperly disposing dead pigs.
According to Yulo, most of the swine diseases are caused by waterborne viruses, and some raisers are using the rivers and irrigation for cleaning and supplying drinking water to their hogs.
Aside from penalties, the city mayor said hog raisers selling and smuggling sick hogs out of an area that has been cordoned off can be fined of up to P5,000 and a six-month jail time.
Yulo also revealed the Sangguniang Panglungsod is creating an ordinance for financial assistance of raisers whose hogs are affected by cholera.
As of May 30, the number of hog mortalities was at 1,178 or 5.78 percent of the city’s hog population, data from the Provincial Veterinary Office showed.
On Wednesday, May 30, Negros Occidental recorded its first confirmed ASF case in Pulupandan town.
The province’s capital, Bacolod City, reported two ASF cases in Barangay Taculing last week.
Yesterday morning, the Bureau of Animal Industry confirmed that blood samples taken from dead hogs in the city’s Barangay Tangub were also positive for ASF.
The province’s P6-billion swine industry is now in jeopardy with local officials scrambling to contain the spread of the hog diseases./PN
