By Dominique Gabriel G. Bañaga

The Negros Occidental provincial government has alloted an initial P4 million as financial assistance for hog raisers who lost pigs due to hog cholera and African swine fever.

Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson said they are currently looking at giving P2,000 for each affected hog raisers.

They still have to re-assess who among the raisers are in need of the financial aid.

Lacson said the cash assistance will be released to affected households through the Department of Social Welfare and Development’s Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situation program.

He also admitted that not everybody will be covered, but local government units (LGUs) can also assist.

As of Friday, June 2, the Provincial Veterinary Office reported 1,758 hog raisers in 14 LGUs in the province have already been affected.

Total hog fatalities have reached 8,849.

Hog industry losses are now pegged at P107.2 million.

San Enrique town is the hardest hit, with almost the entire hog population already wiped out.

The locality also recorded 2,505 hog deaths, or 93.05 percent of the town’s hog population./DGB, WDJ