PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte has placed the entire country under a state of calamity for one year due to the African Swine Fever (ASF) outbreak, allowing the government to tap its quick response fund.
Proclamation No. 1143, which Duterte signed on May 10, 2021, noted that the ASF has spread to 2,571 barangays, 493 cities and towns, 46 provinces and 12 regions since it was first detected in 2019.
The country has lost around three million hogs, translating to losses of more than P100 billion for the local hog sector and allied industries, and an increase in prices of pork products.
Read: Disease-free areas feel ASF impact, too
The proclamation cited an urgent need to address the continued spread of ASF and its adverse impact to jumpstart rehabilitation of the hog industry, and ensure the availability, adequacy and affordability of pork in the market.
“All government agencies and LGUs (local government units) are enjoined to render full assistance to and cooperation with each other, and mobilize the necessary resources to undertake critical, urgent and appropriate measures in a timely manner to curtail the further spread of ASF, address the supply deficit in pork products, reduce retail prices, and jumpstart the rehabilitation of the local hog industry,” the proclamation states.
The Armed Forces of the Philippines is also directed to support law enforcement agencies in ensuring peace and order in affected areas. (Third Anne Peralta-Malonzo / SunStar Philippines)