THE PROVINCIAL GOVERNMENT of Davao Occidental has officially declared today a State of Calamity due to the massive deaths of pigs brought about by the dreaded African Swine Fever (ASF) disease, particularly in Don Marcelino town.
In time for the issuance of the declaration was the meeting of Governor Claude P. Bautista with the barangay officials in the whole province, where the governor laid down his executive policy and direction to manage and control the ASF outbreak in the province.
Bautista gave his marching order for the barangay officials to strictly comply with the control measures such as the temporary banning of the entry and exit of domestic/wild live pigs and their products including pork meat in the whole province.
The residents are also strongly advised to surrender their hogs for proper disposal as the governor assured that they will be paid the indemnification of P5,000 per swine which will be funded by the Department of Agriculture (DA-XI).
Bautista also committed to provide a counterpart from the LGU's calamity funds to ensure that all pigs, dead or alive, will be surrendered, and at the same time to be able to financially help the owners who also rely on hog raising in their backyards as their source of income.
"We also need to provide alternative for those affected," the governor stated in an interview. DA-XI Regional Director Ricardo Onate, Jr. said that as of today, from the estimated swine populace of 13,000 in Don Marcelino town, there are around 7,000 remaining live pigs which should immediately and totally be eradicated through proper culling and disposal.
Don Marcelino Mayor Michael Maruya said that appropriate burial sites have been identified in each of the 15 barangays in the municipality.
After the meeting held at the municipal gym in Malita this morning, all local officials and heads of other concerned offices like the Department of Interior and Local Government, Philippine Army and the Philippine National Police have jointly signed a manifesto of full support and commitment to ensure compliance of the control measures and policy. Bautista said that those officials found not cooperating will be charged administratively.
"It is a shame in our part because the first case of ASF in Mindanao started in our province," the governor lamented.
"This is all our problem. We need to solve this. We work as one. We all have the obligation and responsibility," he asked for the cooperation of his constituents. He urged the barangay officials to report real data and information such as on the number of dead and live swine in their respective areas.
Bautista has also discussed with some hog raisers and pork meat vendors from Malita and Sta. Maria right after the meeting where the governor asked for their cooperation and commitment to provide them the proper indemnification.
"We cant do anything about it, but to accept the situation. We just want an immediate solution so that we can go back again to our business. We are willing to have our pigs be inspected first," lamented Evangeline Yap, a commercial hog raiser from Malita, who got emotional during the interview. Yap said she has a total of 700 heads of swines to be disposed of.
The provincial government has immediately issued a lockdown order in all entry and exit points in the entire province on February 1, 2020 to prevent the spread of ASF in other nearby provinces and cities. Since the outbreak, four checkpoints and quarantine have been established starting from Malalag, Davao del Sur to Sta. Maria, Malita, Don Marcelino and Jose Abad Santos to Sarangani Province.
DA Secretary William Dar officially issued the confirmation of the ASF incidence in Don Marcelino town on February 3, after the confirmatory test result came out, and a day after he visited the ground zero on Sunday (Feb. 2). (By Carina Cayon)
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