THE Davao City Veterinarian's Office (CVO) guaranteed that the culling of an estimated 3,000 hogs, including suckling, will be in accordance with the Animal Welfare Act.
CVO head Dr. Cerelyn Pinili said they already started with the culling of all hogs within the one-kilometer radius zone declared by the Department of Agriculture (DA)-Davao Region in Barangays Lamanan and Dominga in Calinan District on Saturday, February 8.
Pinili said the culling was deemed necessary following the confirmation of the death of some hogs in the area and were found out to be infected by the African Swine Fever (ASF).
She said the culling process will be done privately, with "only few (people) would witness.”
Pinili's statement came on the heels of the concerns raised by hog raisers on how the culling process would be done.
Although Pinili did not further elaborate the culling process, she assured it will be in accordance to the standard set by Animal Welfare Act, and DA.
She added the restriction of people is necessary to prevent the virus from further spreading and to also avoid contamination.
Republic Act 8485 or the Animal Welfare Act of 1998 states that the killing of pigs can be made "is afflicted with an incurable communicable disease as determined and certified by a duly licensed veterinarian.”
However, "the killing of the animals shall be done through humane procedures at all times.”
"For this purpose, humane procedures shall means the use of the most scientific methods available as may be determined and approved by the Committee," the law states.
ASF, a fatal animal disease affecting pigs and wild boars up to 100-case fatality rate, has no cure yet.
Under the "1-7-10 Protocol" of DA, an area under the one-kilomer radius is a quarantine zone, wherein movement control and manning of exit points will be imposed for possible illegal transport of live animals.
Slaughtering of all pigs will be required under the infected premises.
"Ato kini sila ipang-cull (We need to cull them) to prevent the spread the disease and to protect the remaining ones," Pinili said.
She said a burial site for these animals has been identified.
Pinili said hog raisers within the area are mandated to surrender their live pigs. In return she said the government, both the local and national, will buy them as indemnity payment.
The 19th City Council, on Friday, February 7, approved the P20 million financial assistance to be given to 2,714 affected hog raisers.
CVO will give financial assistance to hog raisers by culling at P1,500 per piglet (suckling), and P5,000 per grower or P90 per kilo, whichever is higher, per grower.
This is on top of the P5,000 indemnity payment given by DA-Davao for each pig that will be culled.