Bacolod City – While African Swine Fever (ASF) has also been detected by the Department of Agriculture in Capiz, aside from Iloilo and Guimaras, Negros Occidental remains free of the deadly animal disease, disclosed Provincial Veterinary Officer, Dr. Placeda Lemana.
From January to February 25 this year, the PVO reported confiscating 1,307 kilos of assorted pork related products with a market value of P59,000, from ASF areas, at the BREDCO and Banago Ports in Bacolod, as well as San Carlos City port, Silay-Bacolod Airport, and animal quarantine checkpoint in Kabankalan City.
“We will not be lax, as evidenced by the confiscations that we intercept,” Lemana said.
The African Swine Fever virus causes a hemorrhagic fever with high mortality rates in pigs.
Lemana said she was informed by the Philippine Ports Authority at the Dumangas Port that they cannot prevent passengers from bringing pork products into Negros, as there is no Iloilo province ordinance penalizing the bringing of pork products.
She added that the PPA advised her that the provincial government put up a large tarpaulin at the port to warn travelers against bringing pork products.
Lemana said they have been tightened their security against the entry of ASF in Negros Occidental, by strictly monitoring all ports of entries and airports in the province.
The provincial government of Negros Occidental and highly urbanized Bacolod City have banned the entry of live pigs and pork products from the neighboring Panay and Guimaras Islands.
Negros Occidental, which has P6-billion hog industry, has been identified as a “green zone,” or an ASF-free province by the Department of Agriculture.
As The Negros Occidental provincial government also imposed a total ban on the entry of live birds and poultry products such as meat and eggs from areas affected by the highly pathogenic avian influenza or bird flu, including Luzon, Mindanao, and the neighboring islands of Panay and Guimaras.
From January to Feb. 25 this year, PVO reported that it confiscated P2.1 million worth of poultry related products from bird flu areas, being shipped into Negros Occidental. (Gilbert Bayoran via The Visayan Daily Star (TVDS), photo courtesy of TVDS)