DA sets up inspection sites to fight ASF

Several poultry, livestock and meat inspection sites are already put in place in Metro Manila and nearby provinces to prevent the spread of the African Swine Fever.

These areas include: Commonwealth Avenue, Mindanao Avenue, EDSA Balintawak and La Loma in Quezon City; Marulas and Malanday in Valenzuela; Calamba, Laguna; Sto. Tomas, Batangas; and Alfonso in Cavite.

Agriculture Assistant Secretary and spokesperson Arnel de Mesa said meat inspectors will look for necessary documents such as shipping permit and veterinary certificate and if live hog is onboard, they will be on the look out for possible symptoms of ASF.

"'Pag maayos ang animals pero walang shipping permit, back to origin yon. Pero kahit maayos ang shipping permit pero makita ng ating quarantine officers na nandito sa mga inspection site na una, lethargic yung baboy, pangalawa may mga pantal, may mga sintomas, puwede i-condemn yung mga animals after na ma-test," De Mesa said.

[If the animals are okay but without shipping permit, it will be sent back to its origin. But even if the shipping permit is okay but our quarantine officers at the inspection sites notice that the pigs are lethargic, has rashes and other symptoms, they can be condemned after testing.]

Inoculation of pigs

Meanwhile, inoculation of pigs in Batangas is expected to begin next week after the DA confirmed the arrival of 10,000 ASF vaccines this week. These vaccines were bought by the government by way of emergency procurement.

The said program is voluntary for those who would like to avail of the vaccine.

 "Meron tayong malaking repopulation program sa Central Luzon, most especially in the Bulacan and Pampanga area. We don't want to compromise ang repopulation porgram sa areas na ito. Ayaw din natin na pag may mga infected makarating din, madagdagan pa sa Southern Luzon," De mesa said.

[We have a repopulation program in Central Luzon, most especially in the Bulacan and Pampanga area. We don't want to compromise the repopulation program in these areas.]  — RSJ, GMA Integrated News