ASF spreads to other areas in QC
The deadly swine disease African swine fever (ASF) is out to kill more pigs at the heart of the National Capital Region (NCR), reaching more backyard farms in Quezon City and slowly creeping into the country’s capital and one of the most densely populated cities proper in the world, Manila.
Agriculture Secretary William Dar confirmed Tuesday that ASF has reached Barangay Tatalon in Quezon City, which is situated just a few kilometers away from Manila.
This was confirmed by Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte, adding that there are more areas within her jurisdiction that are showing manifestations of the virus aside from Tatalon.
“We found out about the alleged ASF case in Tatalon as early as Friday,” Belmonte said. “We started culling there.”
Next to Payatas and Silangan, Tatalon is the third area in Quezon City that have been hit by ASF, which had so far resulted to the death and culling of more than 3,000 pigs in the country’s biggest city.
Luzon-wide, there are about 17 areas hit by the virus, but only 14 have so far been confirmed by the Department of Agriculture (DA). This includes Pampanga; Pangasinan; Barangay Cupang in Antipolo; Barangays San Isidro, San Jose, Macabud, Geronimo, San Rafael, Mascap, San Mateo Slaughterhouse in Rodriguez, Rizal; and Guiguinto, Bulacan.
According to Belmonte, Barangay Pasong Tamo, located in the 6th district of Quezon City, is now being observed for possible cases of ASF.
Owned by about 46 raisers, the total swine population in Pasong Tamo is estimated to be around 500 to 600.
“It is now being tested but there are no results yet,” Belmonte said, adding that some pigs in the area have shown signs of being hit by ASF.
But even before the pigs tested positive for ASF, a hog raiser in Bgy. Pasong Tamo already culled 357 pigs Monday after observing that several hogs showed signs of sickness and uneasiness.
Dar said the DA is now elevating measures to contain the spread of ASF into other areas in Luzon, which has the highest hog population in the country.
The Philippines' hog industry is currently valued at P260 billion, raising 12 million to 13 million pigs annually.
In total, ASF had so far resulted to death and culling of as much as 20,000 pigs, based on data provided by the DA.
To prevent the spread of the disease, the DA’s Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI) is now implementing the 1-7-10 protocol in the affected areas. This means that within one kilometer (km)radius of infected farms, there would be quarantine checkpoints to prevent movement of all live pigs, pork, and porkrelated products, and that all pigs within the area must be culled.
For swine farms within the 7-km radius, the government must conduct surveillance procedures, test animals to determine the extent of the infection, and limit animal movement, while in farms within10-km radius, mandatory disease reporting is required.
On Monday, Manila Mayor Isko Moreno said he will be relentless in going after illegal activities involving the importation and reselling of meat products that are supposedly to be disposed.
He also urged the public to support the local hog industry.