By Dominique Gabriel G. Bañaga
Harsh penalties await individuals who would violate biosecurity measures against the spread of swine diseases in Negros Occidental if an existing provincial ordinance is amended by the Sangguniang Panlalawigan.
This comes amid concerns over the spread of hog illnesses in the province, such as hog cholera and African swine fever (ASF).
Vice Governor Jeffrey Ferrer said a public hearing, led by Committee on Agriculture chairman, 3rd district board member Andrew Montelibano, is being conducted to amend Provincial Ordinance 2019-024, or the “ASF Prevention Ordinance.”
Ferrer said Negros Occidental has already its anti-ASF ordinance in 2019.
However, an amendment is needed to update the province’s biosecurity measures and to impose harsh penalties against violators.
So far, officials overseeing the anti-ASF protocols are only allowed to confiscate live hogs and pork products at several ports in the province without imposing penalties.
Meanwhile, in Bago City, Mayor Nicholas Yulo announced that they will impose harsh penalties for hog raisers who are caught improperly disposing of their dead pigs.
According to Yulo, most of the swine diseases are caused by waterborne viruses, and some hog raisers are using rivers and irrigation systems for cleaning and supplying drinking water for the hogs.
The mayor said raisers who are caught selling and smuggling sick hogs from a cordoned area could face fines of up to P5,000, and jail time of six months.
Yulo also revealed that the city’s Sangguniang Panlungsod is now creating an ordinance which seeks the city government to hand out financial assistance of P1,000 to P2,000 to raisers for each hog affected by cholera.
Data released by the Provincial Veterinary Office as of Tuesday, May 30, showed hog mortalities in Bago is now at 1,178, or 5.78 percent of the city’s hog population.
Earlier, Negros Occidental recorded its first confirmed ASF case in Pulupandan town.
Its capital, Bacolod City, also reported two ASF cases in Barangay Taculing.
The Bureau of Animal Industry confirmed yesterday that blood samples from dead hogs in Bacolod’s Barangay Tangub are also positive for ASF.
The province’s P6 billion swine industry is now in jeopardy, with local officials now scrambling to contain the spread of the hog diseases./DGB, WDJ