he Provincial Veterinary (ProVet) Office of Antique is on hand to assist local government units (LGUs) with suspected cases of African swine fever (ASF). ProVet Chief of Public Health Division Dr. Marco Rafael Ardamil said LGUs can request assistance in the extraction of blood samples to be submitted to the Department of Agriculture-Regional Disease Diagnostic Laboratory (DA-RADDL) in Iloilo City for confirmation. Their office can also help conduct checkups and provide medicines and vitamins to their swine. ‘Although there are already hog raisers like from Sibalom that have directly reported to us about their swine death, still we have to wait for the LGU to request our assistance,’ Ardamil said in an interview on Wednesday. He added that they saw complaints on social media or relayed to the ProVet by other concerned citizens. ‘Unless there is a laboratory confirmation of the ASF, the swine death in the other LGUs would remain only as suspected ASF,’ Ardamil said. Sibalom Municipal Agriculture Officer Albert Estoya, in a separate interview, said they have not yet monitored any ASF case in the municipality. He added they even expect Sibalom Mayor Gian Carlo Occeña to issue another Executive Order (EO) on Thursday since the first order which was released on June 21, 2023, will already expire today. EO 2023-029-VI ordered intensified quarantine measures, including the ban on the circulation of boar and other artificial insemination for breeding services and entry of pork products, hogs and livestock to the municipality. Meanwhile, the adjacent town of San Remigio, to protect the livelihood of the small-scale or backyard hog raisers, has put in place a 24/7 border control starting July 4. ‘I appeal to my town mates to cooperate during the inspection at our border control so our town will not be affected by ASF,’ said San Remigio Mayor Margarito Mission Jr. in a separate interview. Currently, the municipalities of Hamtic and San Jose de Buenavista have confirmed ASF cases.

Source: Philippines News Agency