PNP, village execs tapped vs ASF spread in NorMin
CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY – The Department of Agriculture’s (DA) Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI) in Northern Mindanao has tapped the Philippine National Police (PNP) and the local government units to prevent the spread of the African Swine Fever (ASF) in the region.
As of Friday, BAI said it has held orientations about ASF among PNP personnel and barangay officials in Cagayan de Oro and Bukidnon, said Jake Sepe, the agency’s veterinary officer.
Sepe said Bukidnon has nine ASF checkpoints and while Cagayan de Oro has four.
Bukidnon borders the Davao Region where the ASF outbreak was reported, particularly in Davao Occidental and Davao del Sur provinces.
"We are prepared at our entry and exit points,” Sepe said in a telephone interview.
Aside from the installation of footbaths at designated quarantine areas, Sepe said they are also profiling cargo vehicles suspected of carrying livestock infected with ASF.
“We are closely moni
toring vehicles, especially those coming from affected areas, and check those that are suspicious-looking,” he said.
Carlota Madriaga, DA10 technical director, said the region ranks as the third-highest producer of hogs in the country.
The Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) said Northern Mindanao produced 56.61 thousand metric tons of live hogs from October to December 2019.
To prevent the disease from spreading further, both the Bukidnon and Misamis Oriental provincial governments have declared a ban on pigs and pork products.