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AKLAN, Philippines – A month after the first case was discovered in Balete town, four municipalities in this province have now been infected with the African swine fever (ASF) virus.
Dr. Maria Cyresa Leen Mabel C. Siñel, chief of the Office of the Provincial Veterinarian (OPVET) said that the ASF has now spread across Aklan in the towns of Magpag-ong Batan in eastern district. Also in western towns which includes Barangays Dapdap and Tondog in Tangalan and Barangay Alibagon, Makato.
“The province still maintains 24/7 border checkpoints to four boundaries of Aklan hoping to minimize the further spread of the virus. We need more alcohol to disinfect the barangays affected,” she told Rappler May 17.
The four border control areas are in Altavas, Buruanga, Caticlan in Malay town and in Nabas.
“For the hog raisers, we urged them to practice biosecurity measures by placing footbaths and fences to their hogs to minimize the possible infestation of the ASF,” Sinel said.
The local government units have also sealed barangay borders in order to screen people going to and from the infected areas.
“We are wary of giving out numbers of affected hogs in the province as residents might panic compromising the movement of hogs,” Sinel said.
As of press time, LGUs in the 17 towns of Aklan abide by the policy that hogs raise in backyards must be sold and consumed within their respective towns.
“We have enough pork in the province,” Sinel added.
On May 3, the Madalag Veterinary Office in the eastern district said in a Facebook post that several pork brought by the residents after attending a fiesta in a nearby town were confiscated.
Makato mayor Ramon Legaspi III has issued an executive order no. 2023-022 which calls for an intensified monitoring and surveillance of all live hogs, pork, and pork related products, from ASF areas bound to their town.
Legaspi said the EO directs security enforcers to conduct checkpoints and monitoring to ensure biosecurity measures in their town are in place. – Rappler.com
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