Negros Occidental intensifies ASF checks amid resurgence

By Dolly Yasa

BACOLOD CITY – The Negros Occidental Provincial Veterinary Office has intensified spot checks at provincial boundaries to prevent the entry of pork and pork products following a reported resurgence of African Swine Fever (ASF) in Valencia, Negros Oriental.

Provincial Veterinarian Dr. Placeda Lemana said that while Negros Oriental is included in the areas banned under an executive order issued by Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson, there remains a need to ensure no pork or pork products slip through checkpoints.

She told reporters on Friday that a checkpoint has been established in Barangay Masulog, La Castellana, which borders Canlaon City in Negros Oriental.

“There is a spot check in Masulog, especially on market days in Canlaon City,” Lemana said.

She added that there is a 24/7 checkpoint in Hinobaan and Kabankalan, which are also located on the boundary between the two provinces.

Lemana noted that quarantine inspectors across the province are continuously conducting surveillance and checking local markets for ASF-infected pork and pork products.

She lamented that “sometimes, we can’t monitor everything because some are loaded onto Ceres buses.”

She added that local task forces against ASF are tasked with monitoring markets.

Earlier, Lemana alerted hog raisers in the province to remain vigilant against the recurrence of ASF, following reports of outbreaks in Luzon, particularly in Batangas, due to recent floods in the area.

Lemana reminded hog raisers in the province not to lower their guard against ASF.

She emphasized that the ban on the entry of pork and pork products from Luzon, Mindanao, Cebu, Panay, and Negros Oriental into Negros Occidental remains in effect.

Lemana said that floods that hit parts of Batangas and Luzon triggered the spread of ASF in those areas.

She urged local hog raisers to ensure their pigpens are protected from floodwaters.

So far, in Negros Occidental, the cities of Silay and Victorias and the towns of Hinigaran and Pulupandan have been declared Pink Zones, or free of African Swine Fever, she said.

On the other hand, Lemana noted that the cities of San Carlos and Kabankalan, as well as La Castellana, have already been declared ASF-free. However, they are still awaiting certification from the Department of Agriculture’s Bureau of Animal Industry.

PVO records show that hog fatalities due to ASF and other swine diseases reached 17,801 last year. This represents 9.96% of the total hog population in Negros Occidental.

Losses incurred amounted to P200 million.

Swine diseases affected 3,536 hog raisers in 153 barangays across 20 towns and cities in Negros Occidental.