DAVAO CITY: Davao del Norte Gov. Edwin Jubahib has ordered the lockdown of a barangay in Panabo City following confirmation of 12 cases of the African swine fever (ASF) infections in the area.
In a statement on Friday, the Davao del Norte provincial government said the “lockdown” that began on July 22 meant that no pig or pork products may enter or leave Barangay Cagangohan while all pigs in the area will “immediately” be culled to prevent the infection from further spreading.
“We now blocked the entry and exit of live pig and pork products to and from Caganguhan to stop the spread of the disease,” Jubahib said, adding that affected growers will be compensated.
In February this year, the provincial government implemented a temporary ban on entry of live hogs and pork products following confirmed cases here as well as Davao del Sur and Davao Occidental provinces.
Jubahib’s Executive Order 28 prohibited the entry of live pigs and by-products from the three areas, as well as other places with confirmed ASF cases.
The governor said he already coordinated with local officials and residents on strict quarantine procedures, together with the Department of Agriculture-Region 11 chief Ricardo Oñate Jr.
Police and military authorities, he said, have been tapped to help implement the quarantine.
According to DA-11, growers of culled pigs are entitled to receive PHP2,000 per suckling and PHP8,000 per hog as indemnification.
Jubahib said the provincial government will also begin delivering native chickens to the affected households next week to make up for lost income.
Also, Oñate said the affected hog raisers could avail themselves of a zero-interest loan of up to PHP30,000 from the DA’s Agricultural Credit Policy Council (ACPC), payable in three years.
“Let us work together in ending the threat of ASF in Davao del Norte,” the DA-11 chief said.
(Che Palicte/PNA/SRNY/RSP)
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