THE Bacolod City African Swine Fever (ASF) Task Force has decided for the culling of the two pigs suspected of having been infected with the ASF virus in Barangay Taculing Wednesday, May 31, 2023.

Acting Mayor El Cid Familiaran said the City Veterinary Office (CVO), in coordination with the officials of Barangay Taculing, buried the two pigs.

He said the blood samples of the two pigs were taken by the Department of Agriculture (DA)-Western Visayas on May 30. The result was released on the same day.

Familiaran noted that before the travel abroad of Mayor Alfredo Abelardo Benitez, he was tasked to call for a meeting with the ASF Task Force, which is composed of the City Legal Office (CLO), CVO, City Administrator’s Office, Secretary to the Mayor, DA, committee on markets, barangays, and Councilor Jude Thaddeus Sayson, chairperson of the City Council committee on agriculture.

Familiaran said they are still waiting for the confirmatory result from the Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI) in Manila along with the result of the two suspected ASF cases in Barangay Taculing.

“Let’s wait for the confirmatory result from the BAI,” he said.

He said the CVO is also conducting a mapping in the areas of Barangays Tangub and Taculing for the monitoring of the health conditions of the pigs.

Familiaran stressed that there will be no culling of pigs within 500-meter radius in the barangay, it’s only monitoring of the pigs.

Meanwhile, in order to prevent the spread of ASF virus, Familiaran said the task force is now planning to organize a para-veterinary in the barangays.

He said they will conduct a seminar on Friday, June 2, with the para-veterinary representatives from the barangays at the Bacolod City Government Center.

“The para-veterinary workers will be deployed within their barangays to monitor and educate the backyard hog raisers,” he added.

Familiaran disclosed that due to lack of CVO personnel, the city veterinarian of Victorias will also help the Bacolod City’s CVO to address the ASF cases.