Vaccine to solve hog industry woes

Raising swine, hogs or pigs, as they are commonly known, has become very risky, especially if done in a large scale.

This is because it only takes one incidence of swine disease, whether it be a localized or large-scale outbreak, to wipe out one’s entire business and investment.

The outbreak of African swine fever, according to one international study, resulted in a 9.8 percent drop in pig production in the last quarter of 2019.

The study also emphasized that the risks posed by livestock disease such as ASF extend well beyond production losses since agricultural disease often have significant indirect and sometimes direct impact on human health and wellbeing, both tangible and intangible, with ripple effects through communities.

In April 2022, the Department of Agriculture reported that after the first outbreak was detected in 2019, ASF incidence has, however, substantially waned in the Philippines and newly manufactured vaccines against ASF were undergoing testing. Then agriculture secretary William Dar said he would recommend to the next administration massive inoculation if the second part of the vaccine trial yields a positive outcome.

But recently, the DA said there were again active ASF cases in 75 barangays in 42 municipalities in 12 provinces in seven regions as of Feb. 2. These provinces are Cagayan, Aurora, Bulacan, Nueva Ecija, Tarlac, Camarines Sur, Iloilo, Northern Samar, Zamboanga del Norte, Agusan del Sur, Surigao del Norte and Surigao del Sur.

The DA said the cumulative number of affected areas since ASF broke out in the Philippines in 2019 up to the present reached 4,308 barangays in 788 municipalities in 59 provinces in 15 regions.

It expects a continuing pork supply shortage since the ASF outbreaks had reduced the country’s hog population from 12 million to nine million, so much so that it would take at least five years to repopulate the national inventory.

After China reported the first ASF outbreak in August 2018, the disease has since spread across 16 other countries, including the Philippines and Vietnam.

The Philippines reported its first outbreak in September 2019, and by June 2021, the total hog population dropped to 6.6 million pigs from 13 million pre-ASF.  The Philippine Statistics Authority reported that total pork output went down by almost 24 percent over the June-October 2021 period compared to the same period in 2021.

The ASF outbreaks in the Philippines have resulted in loss of livelihoods of hog backyard raisers, the closure of large commercial pig farms, and the lost revenues for allied industries with a projected economic value of some P100 billion yearly.

President Marcos himself assured the public recently that the DA would take decisive steps to put an end to AI or even bird flu that affects the country’s chicken population.

It has been suggested that the government and its partners fast-track field trials on an available and potent vaccine produced in Vietnam, with an eye on the government to  accredit and then use this medicine  in an inoculation program for hogs in the local swine industry, especially for  those belonging to backyard raisers.

The Bureau of Animal Industry has yet to certify a vaccine and implement a vaccination drive but has reportedly started tests on this Vietnamese vaccine known as AVAC ASF Live vaccine.

Vietnam itself is poised to begin this month a nationwide distribution of a vaccine whose efficacy rate, when administered to pigs between eight and 10 weeks old, has been proven at 95 percent.

This ASF Live vaccine, which was developed and produced by AVAC Vietnam Co. Ltd., is the world’s first and only commercially available proven vaccine against this highly contagious animal disease.

About 600,000 doses have been administered under clinical trials and field tests in piggeries across Vietnam under the supervision of the Vietnamese government. AVAC is also the first veterinary vaccine factory in Vietnam certified under the World Health Organization-Good Manufacturing Practices.

One report revealed that local safety and efficacy trials using this vaccine are already being done under the supervision of BAI, and are being conducted by the Manila-based KPP Powers in tandem with San Miguel Corp., Unilab’s Univet Nutrition and Animal Healthcare Co, Aboitiz-owned Pilmico Foods Corp. and Chareon Pokphand Foods Philippines Corp.

AVAC partnered just recently with the Manila-based KPP Powers on the distribution of this vaccine in the Philippines.

Paranaque’s garbage woes continue

Just recently, this column reported about the worsening garbage collection problem in Paranaque, as residents have started raising hell against uncollected trash piling up in several city streets and alleys.

According to the Paranaque local government unit, this was due to the transition from the old private garbage hauler Leonel Waste Management Corp. which had been collecting trash in the city for nine years to a new company, Metrowaste Solid Waste Management Corp., which was able to secure a P415 million contract with the LGU last December.

One city councilor, Christopher Aguilar representing the Association of Barangay Captains, has raised this matter in council meetings, citing reports from MMDA that Metrowaste mas making only about 43 trips a day compared to Leonel’s 109 trips.

Compared to Leonel’s daily average disposal of 2,581.40 metric tons from Jan. 1-18 last year at the MMD-designated sanitary landfills, Metrowaste only disposed 1,512.14 MT in the same period this year.

Aguilar also revealed that Metrowaste only has 24 trucks, consisting of 20 small trucks with compactor and four large trucks compared to Leonel’s 54 compactors of which 40 are medium-sized and 14 are large.

Residents have had enough of their garbage woes which began this year.

Paranaque resident Genaro Clemente Jr. has charged before the Office of the Ombudsman City Mayor Eric Olivarez, city administrator Voltaire dela Cruz, and 12 other ranking city officials including members of the bids and awards committee for violation of the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act for allegedly railroading the multi-million contract with Metrowaste.

Clemente has also asked in his complaint that the respondents be placed under preventive suspension to avoid destroying or manufacturing evidence and to prevent them from threatening and harassing LGU employees.

Metrowaste’s contract was for P414.8 million compared to Leonel’s previous contract for P414.2 million.

Clemente claimed that Metrowaste failed to acquire the necessary documentary requirements for the bidding while the required mayor’s permit was secured only two days after the bid award.

In a special session last month, Paranaque Vice Mayor Joan Villafuerte in a privilege speech noted that the terms of reference for Leonel required 54 garbage trucks to service Paran?aque while the TOR for Metrowaste required only 20 small compactor trucks.

It was pointed out that the 54 small compactor truck in the TOR of Leonel was precisely calculated to service the needs of the city, especially those areas where the roads are small.

Clemente in his complaint said that it is also obvious from the resulting chaos of garbage collection at the start of the year that the reduction in the number of the small garbage compactor trucks greatly contributed to the uncollected garbage.

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