ASF state of calamity in 2 Oriental Mindoro towns

MANILA, Philippines — Two towns in Oriental Mindoro have been placed under a state of calamity after reporting their first cases of African swine fever (ASF).

The Sangguniang Panlalawigan declared a state of calamity in Roxas and Mansalay on Monday upon the recommendation of Oriental Mindoro Gov. Humerlito Dolor.

He said three confirmed cases were recorded in Barangays Bagumbayan and Dangay in Roxas while hog deaths were reported in Mansalay in the past week.

Dolor issued Executive Order No. 66 banning the transport of hogs and pork products from the two towns to prevent the spread of the swine disease.

The Department of Agriculture said it would send test kits to five more barangays in Roxas and one barangay in Mansalay to determine if there are other ASF cases.

The province has been ASF-free in the past four years.

Meanwhile, the Samahang Industriya ng Agrikultura (SINAG) gave assurance that that there is no pork shortage in the country despite recording new ASF cases.

SINAG executive director Jayson Cainglet called for more stringent border protection measures to protect the local hog industry.

“The ASF is a global phenomenon, yet the impact and devastation is longer and more destructive in our country. This is because we continue to be the only country without first border inspection facilities,” Cainglet said.

He said local producers are bearing the cost of increased biosecurity even as he lamented that there is “no real quarantine inspection” of imported pork.

He pushed for indemnification for local hog raisers to ensure proper reporting of ASF cases.