To stop the spread of the African Swine Fever (ASF) in Western Visayas, President Ferdinand “Bongbong” R. Marcos Jr. has ordered the testing of all hog breeding sites in the region.
In a press statement, the Office of the Press Secretary said Marcos issued the order to the Department of Agriculture-Western Visayas regional office during his visit to Negros Occidental last Sunday.
Marcos said the measure will help detect and isolate potential new ASF cases in Western Visayas.
He noted such precaution may be necessary since there were reports ASF could be spread by mosquitoes.
Earlier this month, ASF cases were detected in the municipalities of Oton and San Miguel in Iloilo this month, prompting the Iloilo Provincial Veterinary Office to implement depopulation initiatives.
Marcos, who is the concurrent Agriculture Secretary, assured the public that “all measures to prevent its spread are already in place, including banning pork products from infested areas.”
The local government of Oton declared a State of Calamity in their area on Thursday after ASF affected 10 of its 37 villages.
It hopes the declaration will help in its efforts to contain ASF.
Iloilo was one of the last few provinces in the country with no incidents of the ASF since the disease was first detected in the country in 2019.
Image credits: Department of Agriculture Region 12
