Another CamSur town on lockdown over ASF

LEGAZPI CITY, Philippines  – Another town in Camarines Sur was placed on lockdown on Saturday after several hogs tested positive for African swine fever (ASF), the Department of Agriculture-Bicol region reported yesterday.

The latest to be locked down is Calabanga, located beside the municipality of Bombon where the first ASF case in the Bicol region was recorded.

At least 300 hogs infected with ASF were culled in Barangay Sto. Domingo on Friday by the DA’s regional quick response team.

The regional agriculture office has asked the Camarines Sur Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council (PDRRMC) to help monitor activities and implement efforts to control the spread of the infection, according to Emily Bordado, spokesperson for the DA-Bicol. 

“Additional checkpoints have been set up at  the entry and exit points of the province to prevent transport of hogs,” Leizl Macatangay, spokesperson for the PDRRMC, said yesterday.

“At least 15 checkpoints have been set up across Camarines Sur, particularly along roads leading to Bombon and Calabanga,” Macatangay told The STAR over the phone.

Even before the first ASF case was reported in the region, the local governments of Naga City and Albay have been strictly inspecting meat products being transported in and out of their jurisdictions.

The DA and the provincial government of Camarines Sur as well as of Calabanga and Bombon have instituted biosecurity measures, according to DA-Bicol director Rodel Tornilla.

“The regional quick response team of the DA and the concerned LGUs are doing their best to manage, contain and control the ASF,” Tornilla said.

Albay Gov. Al Francis Bichara ordered checkpoints set up along the province’s entry points from areas with confirmed ASF cases.

Bichara said the move was meant to prevent ASF from infecting the swine population in Albay.

900 pigs culled

Meanwhile, in Isabela, at least 900 ASF-infected hogs were culled recently in the municipalities of Aurora, Cordon, Gamu, Jones, Mallig, Quezon, Quirino, Roxas and San Manuel.

Gov. Rodolfo Albano III has ordered a lockdown in these areas, according to Romeo Santos, spokesman for the provincial government.

Earlier, 70 pigs that tested positive for ASF were culled in the municipalities of Mallig and Quirino. 

The swine depopulations were supervised by personnel of the provincial veterinary office and DA representatives.

The provincial government paid swine raisers P2,500 per hog culled.

A total of P727,500 was released to affected hog raisers in the town of San Manuel, which recorded the highest numbers of pigs culled at 291.– With Raymund Catindig