With the increasing cases of African swine fever (ASF) in the country and with recent confirmed case in Region 8, the Department of Agriculture Region 6 (DA-6) urged the public to be more alert and called for heightened border control measures in all entry and exit points of the region.

The first ASF case in the Visayas was recorded in Abuyog town in Leyte province.

Just recently, DA-6 director Remelyn R. Recoter virtually convened all six provincial veterinarians of the region, Regional Veterinary Quarantine Service, Regulatory and National Meat Inspection Service to discuss necessary measures and actions to protect the P22-billion swine industry of Western Visayas.

Recoter encouraged the public and pig farmers (backyard and commercial) to do the following:

• Report any suspicious pig deaths to the nearest municipal agriculture office or veterinary authorities to immediately contain the disease.
• Do not patronize pork-based products coming from areas affected with ASF that may be sold online and locally.
• Avoid swill feeding to pigs.
• Diligently practice stricter biosecurity measures in all backyard and commercial scale pig farms such as prevent buyers and hauling trucks to come near or enter your farm especially those with history of travel from Luzon and other ASF infected areas in the country.
• Livestock and pig traders must thoroughly disinfect their pig transport vehicles from outside, under and inside the drivers/riders seats.

The DA-6 director called on the support of all agencies under the Regional Animal Committee for Animal Disease Control and Emergency and the Regional ASF Taskforce composed of the Office of Civil Defense, Philippine National Police, Department of the Interior and Local Government, Philippine Ports Authority, and private sectors in protecting Western Visayas against ASF.

Recoter also asked local government units to hasten their own local protective measures for such cause./WDJ