BAYAMBANG DECLARES STATE OF CALAMITY

AFTER ASF INTRUDED 7 BRGYS

By Mortz C. Ortigoza

BAYAMBANG, Pangasinan – The local government unit of this central Pangasinan town declared a State of Calamity after hogs in several villages here have been inflicted by the African Swine Fever (ASF).

Of the seven barangays suspected scourged by the dreaded global epidemic, four villages were inside the one kilometer radius.

Authorities here said that the number of barangays affected by ASF will increase after the 1-7-10 protocol is implemented.

The protocol, according to the D.A, means that all hogs in the one kilometer radius should be killed and buried while the owners will be compensated by the government. Movements of the swines in the seven kilometers outside the one kilometer radius would be monitored by authorities while in next ten kilometers radius the owners report to the government any symptoms of the pigs.

Through the State of Calamity, officials of the LGU here could easily extend financial and technical help to the beleaguered hog raisers especially those whose swines were culled.

Recall that 300 pigs were killed in Barangay Apalen here after 30 of them were found in a random testing by the personnel of Agriculture Region-1 Executive Director Lucrecio Alviar to be infected with the African Swine Fever.

The D.A gives P5000.00 for each of the cloven hoofed animal killed while Mayor Quiambao’s office allocates one sack of 50 kilos rice to each of the recipients.

“As a matter of fact puwede na na-approve na iyong resolution noong Monday. Puwede na iyong ayuda basta totoo na iyong kanilang baboy ay pinatay talaga at ibinaon,” he told reporters.

“It is unfortunate, however, that our elation was short lived as Director Alviar also told us that Barangay Apalen in Bayambang, which is outside the 10-kilometer radius from Barangay Baloling, (Mapandan) recorded death of 30 hogs which tested positive of the swine virus,” Governor Amado Espino, III said in a press statement.

The quick response of the Task Force ASF-Baloling last month under the Provincial Government and the Department of Agriculture prevented the spread of ASF in and outside Barangay Baloling, Mapandan.

ASF is a severe viral disease affecting domestic and wild pigs according to the World Organisation of Animal Health.

It can be spread by live or dead pigs, domestic or wild, and pork products.
Its transmission can also occur via contaminated feed and fomites (non-living objects) such as shoes, clothes, vehicles, knives, equipment and others due to the high environmental resistance of ASF virus. It has no approved vaccine.

Until now the office of Mayor Cezar T. Quiambao and the provincial agriculturist are looking how the disease entered the 77 villages’ town.

One of the incidents they are looking was a hog trader who bought his products outside of the Province of Pangasinan and stocked them in a place within the 100 kilometer radius in Barangay Apalen here.
The office of Mayor Quiambao has banned the entry of swines and pork products from other provinces to mitigate the spread of the dreaded virus here.