WHILE the local hog industry in Davao City is still coping with its losses due to the African Swine Fever (ASF), causing the loss of economic livelihood to hog raisers, meat vendors and processors, their road to recovery would have to be interrupted as the entire city is battling the spread of the coronavirus disease (Covid-19).
As of Tuesday, March 17, Davao City remains Covid free. However, the entire city is placed under community quarantine, after Davao Region recorded its first Covid-positive case on Sunday, March 15.
Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio already issued a guideline, prohibiting Dabawenyos from unnecessary travel. Hence, they are advised to stay indoors and self-quarantine.
Although the mayor still allows the public to buy necessary items, such as food and medicines, she reiterated that social distancing is a must.
Salome Ociones, a long-time Bankerohan pork meat vendor, already projected a huge loss since February. This was the month the Department of Agriculture-Davao Region (DA-Davao) confirmed the first ASF-positive case in Barangays Dominga and Lamanan, within the Calinan District. Weeks after, Barangay Inayangan, also in Calinan, was also infected by the hog disease.
Ociones naratted how the ASF stigma, which was feared to be human trasmittable, caused fear from her patrons hesitating to buy pork products.
A week before, DA-Davao along with other hog-raising associations, staged a mass lechon boodle eating within Bankerohan Market, to encourage the public to consume pork products.
She said a week after the event, they weren’t able to gain back the public’s trust.
“Mingaw, pero carry lang man. Pareho lang man kagahapon ka mingaw (Sales are not improving, just like yesterday and other day. But we somehow manage it),” Ociones said, adding they had to lessen their order stocks.
She said further losses were also noted days after the mayor imposed the community quarantine.
With all honesty, she said it is not the virus she is worried about, but the impact it would further pose especially when the time comes that the city might be forced to close the market if the virus spreading will infect the city.
Agdao’s Eling, name withheld, also worried that the Covid scare would also affect the sales of her pork meat and products.
While Eling said that she is still able to sell some of her pork products, she said limited stocks had since arrived to her stall since the city imposed the restriction of entry of pork products within the city premises in September last year.
“Bisa’g hinay siya, naa paman pud mamalitay. Kaluoy sa Ginoo (Despite the slow pacing of sales, thank God there are still customers who buy some of my products),” she said.
But she still fears not only for her livelihood, but also for herself, if the city will have its first confirmed case.
“Basin manarado na gyud mi ana’g dayon (We might end up closing our stalls because of that),” Eling said.
Hog Farmers Association of Davao Inc. president Eduardo So told Sunstar Davao they had already forseen the impact of the Covid-19 virus.
So said the recent lechon tasting had already a positive response from the Dabawenyos, if not only for the Covid-outbreak, which had already reached the region.
“Covid-19 has (a) very big effect on our economy. Imagine mo nalang, walang taong gusto lumabas (You can just imagine the fear of the public hesitating to go out and buy pork products),” So said in a text message.
He added that the cancellation of events and conferences also affected the industry, as some of these event dish out pork delicacies on its serving.
“Hopefully we can recover from this as soon as possible,” So said.
Meanwhile, he said the hog raisers are awaiting the executive order from President Rodrigo Duterte lifting the lockdown of animal imposed in the affected barangays in Calinan.
So said lifting the lockdown could help the local government unit implement the decontamination protocol set by DA-Davao.
According to DA-Davao, more than 5,000 hogs were depopulated to contain the spread of the ASF.
So said DA-Davao currently has not reported any hog death related to ASF since the Covid outbreak reached the country.
“I hope it should stay this way,” he said.