PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte has approved the Department of Agriculture’s proposal to use the Office of the President’s contingent fund worth P1 billion to indemnify hog raisers affected by the African swine fever (ASF) outbreak in the country and establish cold storage areas in key areas for close monitoring of meat shipments, Malacañang said on Thursday, Nov. 7. 2019.

The cold storage areas will be established in the Ports of Manila, Subic, Batangas, Cebu and Davao for “100-percent monitoring of meat products entry.”

“To address the issue on African swine fever, the Chief Executive approved Agriculture Secretary William Dar’s request to use the remaining contingent fund of the Office of the President,” the Palace official said in a statement.

The President in September also approved the release of P78 million emergency fund for biosecurity and quarantine operations, disease monitoring and surveillance, upgrading of laboratories, capacity-building and other disease control measures against the fatal hog disease. (NASE / SUNSTAR PHILIPPINES)