147 ASF-positive hogs intercepted in Q.C. checkpoint
147 ASF-positive hogs intercepted in Q.C. checkpoint
Transcript
00:00Hog owners who try to smuggle and sell their tainted sows and swines elsewhere, beware.
00:05Then again, the penalties are severe should one get caught trying to contaminate other hogs with
00:10this highly infectious disease by transport. And as Arcleso Pardillo reports, the DA will begin
00:16its limited inoculation program in Batangas, where only 10,000 doses are available. That begins Tuesday.
00:23This truck carrying 87 live hogs was supposed to be headed for Pangasinan. However, the Department
00:31of Agriculture had them called after the pigs tested positive for African swine fever. According
00:37to the DA, the hogs came from Sarayaya, Quezon, but were intercepted at a checkpoint set up on
00:44Mininao Avenue. The agency found the health certificate and shipping permit for the hogs
00:50were fraudulent.
01:11Earlier, 60 hogs intercepted at a checkpoint also tested positive for ASF. 14 more pigs
01:18showing ASF symptoms were caught in separate operations, with some already dead. Blood
01:24samples have been collected for further testing. The Agriculture Department has expressed concern
01:31about the illegal transport and sale of ASF-affected hogs.
01:49The DA will set up more checkpoints to enhance border control and prevent the spread of ASF.
01:59Batangas Governor Hermelando Mandana stated that ASF continues to spread in the province,
02:05which is one of the major pork producers in Luzon. The diseases also affected the towns of Balayan
02:11and Malvar. The ASF virus has now impacted 10 municipalities, including 352 hog farms.
02:42a shortage of local pigs. But of course, there is always the option of importation.
02:47Of course, I don't want to import as much as possible.
02:50Starting Tuesday, the Department of Agriculture will begin vaccinating in Lobo, Batangas.
02:55Consensus ground zero for the ASF spread to protect the remaining pig population in the province.
03:0210,000 vaccines have been allocated for Batangas.
03:11It means that there are some who are still alive, maybe some 50,000 are still alive.
03:16So that's not enough for one town. So we need immediate emergency procurement of 600,000.
03:2410,000 doses is too small for the whole, but if we can isolate one, two, three barangays,
03:33I think that's helpful already. The Department of Agriculture told
03:36the remaining 590,000 ASF vaccines will be gradually rolled out to various areas in the
03:43country affected by the ASF. Kalei zalpardiliya for the new and better Philippines.