DAVAO CITY, Philippines – Two barangays in Calinan District here affected with African Swine Fever (ASF) have now been placed under a state of calamity.
The City Council, passed on Friday a resolution declaring Brgys. Lamanan and Dominga under a state of calamity after agriculture officials confirmed that blood samples taken from the hogs in these areas have tested positive with ASF.
It also passed an ordinance granting authority to the City Mayor’s Office to use 30 percent of the Quick Response Fund for financial assistance amounting to Php20 million to affected hog raisers.
According to the City Veterinarian’s Office, approximately 2,780 hogs are now affected with ASF.
For now, the two affected barangays is placed under lockdown in which checkpoints were placed. Live pigs, fresh or cooked meat, and its by-products will not be allowed to be transported outside these areas.
On Thursday, agriculture officials confirmed that ASF have reached the city.
The Department of Agriculture (DA) Davao Region said that they are “backtracing” to determine how the disease reached the city.
All hogs in infected areas will be culled to prevent the disease from spreading.
Other hogs in areas within a seven-kilometer radius will also be tested to check for possible infection.
The DA said that a financial assistance amounting to Php5,000 will be given as compensation to backyard hog raisers whose animals will be culled due to ASF.
Meanwhile, the city government will also be paying another Php5,000 and additional amount depending on the market price per kilo of a pig.
Earlier this week, the province of Davao Occidental has already declared a state of calamity following an ASF outbreak in its towns, which reportedly killed thousands of hogs.
The remote coastal town of Don Marcelino is identified to be the epicenter of the ASF outbreak in Mindanao.(davaotoday.com)
