MABALACAT City Mayor Crisostomo Garbo and other local officials led a boodle fight Tuesday, September 24, to negate reports about the presence of the African Swine Fever (ASF), which affected some parts of the country.
The city officials gathered at the Mabalacat Public Market Tuesday morning for the event.
Rosan Paquia, Garbo's chief-of-staff, said they planned the boodle fight last week to allay fears among the constituents. He said the local government under Garbo's directive instituted measures to prevent the spread of ASF.
Garbo earlier ordered a temporary ban of pork entry into the city to safeguard Mabalaqueños from the threat of the ASF.
The mayor issued Executive Order 42 following the directive of Pampanga Governor Dennis Pineda to ban the entry of all live pigs into the province to protect the multi-million hog industry and meat processors from ASF.
The mayor said there is no ASF outbreak yet in the city and his order is a preventive measure.
Garbo included in his order the creation of the Anti-Swine Task Force to man every point of entry and conduct inspections.
Members of the Anti-Swine Task Force include the City Veterinarian, City Health Officer, Mabalacat police, and Public Market Administrator. A contingency plan is now being implemented by the task force.
The mayor said only those with National Meat Inspection Service (NMIS) seal or those with appropriate Certificate of Meat Inspection issued by the NMIS are allowed to enter the city.
"Ginagawa po natin ito upang matiyak po natin and kaligtasan ng bawat Mabalaqueño sa African Swine Fever," Garbo said.
The ban is temporary and will be lifted upon the advice of the Bureau of Animal Industry, he added.
Two weeks ago, Pineda issued a memorandum to mayors to take preventive actions against ASF as advised by the Department of Agriculture through Administrative Order 04-2019 on food safety measures and veterinary quarantine.
Data from the Philippine Statistics Authority showed that swine inventory in Pampanga totaled 51,415 metric tons live weight in 2018, the third highest producer in Central Luzon after Bulacan (259,677 metric tons) and Tarlac (98,591 metric tons).