Benguet issues lockdown versus African Swine Fever

February 10, 2020 Headlines

BAGUIO CITY(February 7, 2020) — Benguet Governor Melchor Diclas ordered a temporary lockdown on the entry of live pigs into the province as the African Swine Fever (ASF) continues to affect various regions in the country.
Diclas in Executive Order 2020-010 said his declaration is part of the intensive effort of the provincial government in implementing Provincial Ordinance 18-227 otherwise known as the Animal Quarantine Regulation of Benguet.
The said ordinance delayed or prevented the entry of ASF into Benguet. According to Diclas, almost all of the sources of pigs in Regions I, II, III, IV and the National Capital Region are infected with the ASF virus.
He stressed that the extent of the infection is becoming wider and is now alarming. “Whereas, due to the great demand for pigs, some unscrupulous shippers resorted to deceitful acts,” the governor revealed. He said that shippers are transporting undocumented pigs in private vehicles to avoid checkpoints.
He added that some of them are also producing fake documents, fake ASF negative tests results and misdeclaration of sources.
Diclas also bared that some devious swine raisers are still patronizing swill or leftover foods from restaurants in Baguio City despite warnings against swill feeding.
Diclas said that it was confirmed by the Animal Disease Diagnostic Reference Laboratory of the Bureau of Animal Industry that the submitted samples from suspected infected pigs were positive of ASF. The temporary lockdown is for the protection of everybody, the official explained.
 
Artemio A. Dumlao/ABN