ILOILO City – President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. has ordered a ban on all pigs and pork products from Panay Island for 60 days.
Western Visayas – where Panay is located – recorded its first cases of African Swine Fever (ASF) in Oton, Iloilo nearly two weeks ago.
The President, who sits as secretary of the Department of Agriculture, ordered the ban during his meeting with the agriculture cluster of the Private Sector Advisory Council (PSAC) on Oct. 21 regarding his administration’s agriculture priorities, specifically measures to ensure food security.
As of Oct. 22, the total number of barangays with confirmed cases of ASF in Oton town increased to 10 following the inclusion of Barangay Sta. Rita.
The first nine barangays were Bita Norte, Bita Sur, Caboloan Norte, Caboloan Sur, Santa Monica, Abilay Norte, Tagbak Norte, Galang, and Buray.
On Oct. 20, almost 400 hogs have been depopulated within the one-kilometer radius from the index cases.
Upon the recommendation of the Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (MDRRMC), the Sangguniang Bayan (SB) of Oton placed the town under a state of calamity on Oct. 21.
Meanwhile, after the ASF broke out, cities and provinces in Western Visayas such as Iloilo City, Aklan, Antique, Capiz, Guimaras, and Negros Occidental, as well as Cebu in Central Visayas, implemented border controls.
DA-6 regional information officer James Earl Ogatis said the regional office is in close coordination with the DA central office and all local government units concerned regarding the ASF.
He added that all of their actions are in accordance with the protocols and guidelines with regards to ASF surveillance, mitigation and control./PN
