Bacolod ASF Task Force monitors backyard piggeries
THE Task Force African Swine Fever (ASF) in Bacolod City is now monitoring all the backyard piggeries in the city after it logged two positive cases last week, City Legal Officer Romeo Carlos Ting, Jr. said Monday, May 29.
Of the six hogs' blood samples taken from backyard piggeries in Barangays Felisa and Taculing on Friday, May 26, two of the hogs, from Barangay Taculing were tested positive for ASF, he said.
He said the two pigs were allegedly purchased by the backyard hog raiser in Bago City, adding that they are still waiting for the confirmatory result from the Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI) in Manila.
Ting noted that the task force is now monitoring the area of Barangay Taculing including other barangays to determine the total number of pig deaths in Bacolod.
Ting said they are also coordinating with the piggery owner in Bago City and they will also ask them for a blood testing of their animals.
He said the Department of Agriculture (DA)-Western Visayas will provide a testing machine for Bacolod City to accommodate the backyard hog raisers in the city.
“We want to address this problem to protect the swine industry here,” he added.
Ting stressed that he had already tasked all the barangay officials to submit the lists of the backyard piggeries within their barangays.
“They should give us the exact data so that we can respond immediately. So far, for now, it’s an isolated case since it was only in Barangay Taculing,” Ting said.
He said they are also coordinating with the province of Negros Occidental for the issuance of joint executive order for the containment and reproduction of pigs in Negros Occidental.
Meanwhile, Benitez also issued an Executive Order No. 079 directing the task force ASF, Integrated City Enforcement Team, and City Veterinary Office to conduct border control and inspection.
The task force was tasked to conduct investigation and institute control protocols in suspected areas of ASF, to ensure implementation of the ASF Prevention and Control Measures and quarantine measures.
They were also tasked to conduct a massive information and awareness campaign to all stakeholders on ASF outbreak and the needed interventions to reduce its expected adverse impact in the city.
To ensure stringent import policies and border control to prevent entry of infected live pigs or pork products in the area of jurisdiction of Bacolod City, to perform such other functions as may be necessary for the full and proper implementation of ASF prevention and control protocols within the City and to formulate the contingency plan for the ASF prevention and control measures in the city, the order further stated.*