MANKAYAN, Benguet – The municipal government, the agriculture department and the concerned barangays recently beefed up the implementation of quarantine checkpoints in the entry points to the municipality to prevent the entry of hogs infected with the African Swine Fever (ASF) following the confirmed cases in some three barangays.
Mayor Frenzel A. Ayong stated that the entry of hogs in the municipality, especially those coming from the declared zones, will not be allowed for the meantime until such time that there will be an appropriate clearance from the agriculture department that it is safe to allow the entry of hogs in the locality.
He claimed that the temporary suspension of the entry of hogs in the locality is part of the ongoing efforts of the government, through the agriculture department, to prevent the further spread of the ASF in most areas in the country that might worsen the effect of the infestation to the hog industry, thus, people should understand the decision of the concerned government agencies and the local government on the said matter.
Earlier, ASF cases were reported among the hogs being taken cared by some local hog raisers in 3 barangays of the municipality that led to the eventual depopulation of their remaining hogs to avert the further spread of the animal virus among the backyard hog raisers within the vicinity of the areas where the ASF cases were discovered.
The local chief executive disclosed that municipal officials of Cervantes, Ilocos Sur brought to his attention 2 dead hogs that were separately placed in sacks which were believed to have been washed down the river by hog raisers living upstream and the cases is now being investigated to ascertain who among the hog raisers was responsible for the obviously deliberate act.
He called on residents to cooperate with the ongoing implementation of the enhanced quarantine checkpoints in the town’s entry points to prevent the further spread of the animal virus among the local hog population.
According to him, the local government and the agriculture department are closely working together to ascertain the assistance that can be provided to the affected hog raisers to allow them to recover from the serious negative effects of the ASF on their livelihood.
Mankayan is the 10th municipality in the province that reported ASF cases among the town’s hog population.
The remaining ASF-free municipalities in the province are Kapangan. Kibungan and Bakun while those with reported ASF cases, aside from Mankayan, are Atok, Tublay, Buguias, La Trinidad, Tuba, Sablan, Itogon, Bokod and Kabayan.
ASF is highly contagious among hogs that is why the ultimate remedy to prevent its rapid spread is to immediately depopulate the remaining hogs where the infected animal was discovered and completely vacate the pig pens for at least 2 to 3 months after they are disinfected. By HENT
