PROV'L ASF TASKFORCE STRENGTHENS PREVENTIVE ACTIONS
By: Dr. Romuelda C. Mañgaser, GPC-OPVet | Photos By: Sonny Buenaventura, PIO | Date: July 5, 2021
In order to give updates on the ASF situation in our province, the Provincial African Swine Fever Task Force Meeting met on July 5, 2021 via video conferencing presided by Gov. Francisco Emmanuel R. Ortega III and Provincial Veterinarian, Dr. Nida N. Gapuz. The said conference was attended by 33 member participants which includes department heads of different government offices in La Union. Updates on ASF situation in the Philippines, Region I and Province of La Union, activities on ASF prevention and control and moving forward activities were presented during the activity.
To further strengthen the Province's response to African Swine Fever and safeguard the Province's swine industry, the Provincial Government of La Union (PGLU), through its ASF Task Force led by Gov. Francisco Emmanuel R. Ortega III and Provincial Veterinarian, Dr. Nida N. Gapuz, convene to give an update on the ASF situation across the Province of La Union and in the Ilocos Region last July 5, 2021, via video conferencing.
As of press time, a total number of 14,273 pigs were already culled in the Province of La Union. With this data, PGLU intensifies ASF Bantay ASF sa Barangay Program (BaBAY ASF) protocols and necessary activities to mitigate the spread of ASF. In addition, the PGLU ASF Task Force also provided ASF prevention and control, including actions before and during the ASF outbreak in the Province.
African Swine Fever (ASF) is a highly contagious hemorrhagic viral disease of domestic and wild pigs of all ages caused by Asfivirus. ASF is not a threat to human health, but it is a great threat to our swine industry. It can be transmitted through transport vehicles, farm workers, infected hogs, swill feeding, waterways, and infected pork meat. Therefore, hog raisers were advised to observe biosecurity protocols to control and prevent ASF strictly.
To date, there are no available vaccines for ASF. But the PGLU has established necessary assistance to the local hog raisers of the Province, which includes providing cash assistance. Moreover, PGLU is closely working with the Department of Agriculture to aid the affected hog farmers through their indemnification assistance.
The ASF Taskforce also presented measures to ensure the safety of La Union's hog industry, such as the sentinelling program, calibrated repopulation, livelihood project proposals, and new ordinances for ASF prevention and control.
Meanwhile, the Provincial Veterinary Office urges every local hog raiser to immediately report to their Municipal Agriculture Office if they have seen symptoms of ASF in the pigs.
The said conference were attended by 33 member participants which includes the heads of different government offices in La Union, such as the La Union Provincial Police Office (LUPPO), Provincial Health Office (PHO), Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG), Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Office (DENR – PENRO La Union & ENRO), Department of Education (DepEd), Department of Agriculture – Regional Field Office I (DA-RFO1), National Meat Inspection Services (NMIS-RTOC1). Other members include representatives from the swine industry, Provincial Information Office (PIO), Provincial Tourism Office (PTO), Provincial Agriculturist (OPag), Provincial Planning and Development Office (PPDO), and Municipal Agriculturist of the different municipalities of La Union.
PGLU is committed to working with different stakeholders to safeguard public health amongst every Kaprobinsiaan.
