THE Angeles City government, through the initiative of Mayor Carmelo “Pogi” Lazatin Jr., handed over financial assistance amounting to P5.274 million to hog raisers in the city Thursday, January 16.

Lazatin personally distributed financial aid to 145 hog raisers from 20 barangays.

According to the mayor, he wanted to help them with their livelihood since there is still a pork ban in some areas in Metro Manila and Central Luzon.

“Ang ayudang binigay ko sa mga hog raisers ay tulong upang sila ay makabangon mula sa pork ban na itinaas sa mga karatig lugar natin (The assistance I gave is for them to recover from the pork ban in neighboring areas),” Lazatin said.

The financial assistance is apart from the aid that the national government will be giving next year.

A total of 1,758 pigs were voluntarily surrendered by the hog raisers following the pork ban raised in Pampanga and nearby provinces.

The City Veterinary Office, led by Dr. Christian Xyric Arcilla, spearheaded the depopulation of pigs by using the most humane procedure possible.

Ronald Sese of the Angeles City Veterinary Office invented an electric stunner to depopulate the hog population. It was recommended as the most humane way to terminate the pigs.

The said electric stunner that he invented was copied by the Department of Agriculture’s Bureau of Animal Industry and is now being used in Ilocos, Cagayan Valley and Central Luzon regions. (PR)