Infestation of flies: Help us - Asturias residents

CEBU, Philippines - While Cebu Governor Hilario Davide has assured that necessary steps will be taken to help the Municipality of Asturias with its problem over the "abnormal" infestation of flies, residents of the town are seeking for aid since even their means of livelihood are already affected by the problem.

Residents in Barangay Buswang, for example, are asking for help because their whole barangay is already infested by flies allegedly brought by several poultry farms in their area.

 Virgie Bulat-og, a resident in the area, cried while sharing their problem to The Freeman after losing several piglets because of the flies.

She said out of 15 newly-born piglets, only four survived. This, she said, is possibly caused by the foul odor coming from a poultry facility nearby. The residents showed The Freeman the "questionable" waste disposal system of the poultry farm that has reportedly contaminated a nearby creek.

Bulat-og said the alleged contamination has resulted to an unbearable stench, which has made farming in the area impossible.

Another resident, Virginia Gimarino, whose family has lived in the area for a long time, said the people in their area have been having less sleep because of the flies and they even eat inside mosquito nets just to protect them and their food.

Barangay Councilor Elsie Cuizon said they fear for the children because some of them have already gotten sick.

Local vendors and eatery owners complain because their sales have gone down.

The residents said the problem started in 2014, but little action was done. 

They acknowledged the teams from the Provincial Health Office that have conducted misting operations, but the residents said it's not enough since the flies kept coming back.

Two months ago, the provincial government received a total of 130 complaints from the residents of Asturias against the poultry farms and its unauthorized operations.

Recently, Governor Hilario Davide III said he will order for the closure of the poultry farms if the report from investigating team of the Provincial Environmental and Natural Resources Office and Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office shows that the poultry farm owners have been negligent in their operations.

Dr. Rene Catan, PHO chief, confirmed the "abnormal" number of flies in Asturias. The office has conducted misting operations, but Catan said this is only a short-term solution.

Davide has also called the attention of Asturias town officials to look into the problem, as they are the ones responsible for the issuance of licenses to the poultry owners. — Aldo Nelbert Banaynal and Mae Clydyl L. Avila (FREEMAN)