ASTURIAS Mayor Anto Pintor ordered the closure of a poultry farm that allegedly triggered the swarm of flies in the midwestern town.
“I issued a cease-and-desist order last Thursday,” said Pintor, referring to the farm that houses 40,000 to 50,000 heads of chickens.
Sun.Star Cebu called up Pintor last weekend to relay complaints received by this paper through text and calls.
Some 13 town residents, four of whom are barangay kagawads, also went to the Capitol to complain about the situation to Gov. Hilario Davide III.
Pintor, who was in Bohol to receive an award in behalf of the Municipality earlier this week, inspected the farm last Wednesday to verify the complaint.
Unheeded advice
Pintor said the farm owner did not listen to his earlier advice to place rice hull under the chicken coop to neutralize the bad effects of chicken waste.
He said the swarm of flies has placed his administration in a bad light, especially after the governor told reporters that residents have been eating their meals inside mosquito nets to avoid the insects from getting into their food and drinks.
Dr. Rene Catan, head of the Provincial Health Office, will meet with representatives from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, the local government unit, poultry farm owners and affected residents to come up with a permanent solution to the problem, which has plagued residents since 2014.
He also sent a team to conduct misting operations in the affected area. Even though they were able to collect sacks of dead flies, the number of survivors continue to fly on.