CDO hog raisers loss pigs due to ASF

CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY – Some P10.8 million were released by the Department of Agriculture (DA) to 637 hog raisers who were affected by the African Swine Fever (ASF) here.

The hog raisers received P5,000 for each pig culled, according to DA and this was on top of the P2,000 cash assistance from the City Government earlier this year. The indemnity rollout was undertaken in close coordination with the City Agriculture Office.

The validation of the ASF-affected areas and profiling of hog raisers were jointly conducted with the City Veterinary Office and the DA.

The DA said the assistance will help hog raisers to start alternative livelihood as means to recuperate from the ASF infestation, especially since they are temporarily prohibited to raise hogs until their area is cleared for swine repopulation.

Elsira Niebla, 51, a hog raiser from the village of Tumpagon, said the P10,000 indemnity she received out of two pigs culled is enough to start a small livelihood. “Pasalamat mi sa DA. Bisan tuod gikuha ang among baboy, gibayaran mi para makabangon mi sa among panginabuhian. Akong gamiton kini nga hinabang para mag-negosyo sama sa pagpangompra sa lubi ug saging,” she said.

The first two ASF cases here were reported in the villages of San Simon and Mambuaya and eventually affected 15 more villages that killed over 3,700 hogs.

The DA is currently processing the second batch of hog raisers who were also affected by the ASF. Some P6.65 million is expected to be released as indemnity for the 1,330 culled hogs of 306 hog raisers here.

In June, the U.S. Defense Threat Reduction Agency’s (DTRA) Biological Threat Reduction Program (BTRP) completed the final phase of a five-year biological threat capacity building partnership with the DA.

Beginning in September 2016, BTRP and the DA collaborated to build or renovate seven Regional Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratories (RADDLs) in Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao. 

The P1.1-billion program also included the provision for Philippine counterparts to participate in 15 bio-safety and security courses, 26 quality management courses, four table-top exercises, 27 laboratory staff workshops, and support to the Regional Institute of Tropical Medicine through equipment fielding and training. 

The BTRP-DA partnership included extensive disease surveillance and laboratory security and safety training aimed at increasing the Philippines’ biological threat reduction capacity and capability. The partnership also addressed several emerging challenges within the agriculture sector, including detection and surveillance of Avian Influenza and ASF. 

“We are proud of the work this partnership has achieved since 2016 to strengthen the Philippines’ capacity and capability to detect, diagnose, and report dangerous pathogens. Now that the Philippine government is operating these labs at full capacity, we look forward to the next opportunity to work with our critical Philippine friends, partners, and allies,” said Dr. Ada Bacetty, DTRA’s BTRP chief. 

These laboratories are a central line of defense against dangerous pathogens affecting agriculture, including those with potential to affect humans. The capabilities developed through the BTRP-DA partnership strengthened the Philippines’ ability to detect and respond to emergent threats. 

“I can safely say that the desired outcome of the BSS (Bio-Safety and Security) project was fulfilled,” said William Medrano, Undersecretary for Livestock and Chairman of the Department of Agriculture BSS Project Steering Committee. 

“We were able to modernize some laboratories and we were able to institutionalize quality management, which is very important when you manage laboratories. We’d like to express our sincere thanks to DTRA for recognizing the Philippines as their partner for this very important and noble project on BSS,” he added. (With additional reporting from Rhoderick Benez and Malou Cablinda)

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