With the provincial task force formally declaring an African Swine Fever (ASF) outbreak in Catanduanes, municipal agriculture officers last week said they want an assurance that hog farmers would be compensated for the depopulation of their animals.
In last week’s consultative meeting at the provincial capitol, the LGU agriculture officers expressed dismay about the lack of certainty of payment for farmers as the Department of Agriculture (DA) admitted it had to request appropriate budget for the compensation from the central office.
“Patay tayo diyan, kami ang mananagot niyan,” one official remarked despite Provincial Veterinarian Dr. Jane Rubio’s statement that all the municipalities have to do is to request the funding from the regional office, which will forward the same to the national office for charging against the Quick Reaction Fund (QRF).
An official of the DA regional office who joined the meeting online said that it would need funding from the Department of Budget and Management (DBM), with the request based on the actual number of depopulated swine,
“Medyo matagal, aabutin ng six months,” he admitted even as he called for the depopulation of hogs within a 500-meter radius from the ground zero when three cases of infection are confirmed in an area.
DA Administrative Order No. 10, series of 2024, issued by Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel in August last year provide higher compensation rates for infected or potentially infected animals which are rapidly and deliberately killed and then buried to prevent the disease from spreading.
Under the directive, affected farmers will be paid P12,000 for each sow or boar and P8,000 for grower or finisher pigs between 25 to 75 kilograms in live weight.
On the other hand, they will get P4,000 for weanlings about 30-90 days old and not more than 25 kg in weight. Suckling piglets are not covered by the ASF cash assistance.
Governor Joseph C. Cua, who chaired the Provincial ASF Task Force, suggested that the province and the municipalities share funding for additional compensation for the farmers considering that the DA assistance still leaves them at a financial loss.
However, Gigmoto Mayor Vicente J. Tayam, whose town is not yet affected by the outbreak, said it would be a problem as the proposed counterpart funding is not included in the 2025 budget already submitted to the Sangguniang Panlalawigan for approval.
Gov. Cua is also considering a suggestion that the affected hog farmers be listed as beneficiaries of the controversial Ayuda sa Kapos Ang Kita (AKAP) program where they could get P5,000 each.
It may be recalled that the last time local swine tested positive for ASF was in June 2024 in Pandan, with the administration of Mayor Raul Tabirara compensating the owner of the pigs that were depopulated.
In the wake of the three cases in Pandan del Sur and Napo, seven more pigs tested positive in Sabangan and Baybay, both in Caramoran in the next four months, along with one case in Calatagan Virac.
Authorities first suspected the latest ASF outbreak as early as Dec. 26, 2024 when owners reported sick animals in Cabcab, San Andres (4 cases); Cabugao (3) and Marinawa (1) in Bato; Agban, Baras (1); and Cavinitan, Virac (1 case).
However, the blood samples collected were sent to the DA’s Regional Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory in Pili, Camarines Sur only on Jan. 7, 2025, with the samples testing positive the next day.
Samples were also collected from two hogs in San Isidro Village, four at the Virac slaughterhouse and five in the Pajo area, all in Virac, with results yet to be announced as of last Wednesday.
The province relaxed its guard against ASF, said the task force officials who identified swill (sagmaw) feeding, back door or illegal shipment of pigs, pork and pork products, as well as imported semen purchased online by artificial insemination technicians as the possible sources of the new infection.
Dr. Rubio also lamented the fact that incidents of ASF symptoms seen in local swine population were not reported early to the LGUs, with many farmers butchering their animals one or two days after they stop eating.
She added that the situation is not helped by the lack of barangay biosecurity officials as most of them who are kagawads lost their posts in the last village polls.
Nine LGUs are also without functioning slaughterhouses while a similar number do not have licensed meat inspectors.
Gov. Cua also revealed that mainland hog raisers are offering their potentially infected hogs at bargain prices to buyers from San Andres and Caramoran, where the coastal villages need to be monitored by barangay officials and the Philippine Coast Guard.
Municipal agriculturists likewise called on the veterinary office to assist LGUs in the depopulation especially in the provision of materials, equipment and funding, as they spent their own money during the last round of depopulation in early 2024 for food and fuel.
It was also suggested that barangays should account for the hog population in their areas as a compulsory requirement, with every slaughtered hog to be checked against the inventory if it really came from the barangay.
Dr. Rubio cited the municipality of Bagamanoc, whose leadership did not allow the collection of blood samples from the local hog population during the previous outbreak in 2020.
It is claimed that Mayor Odilon Pascua had expressed resentment against the PVet for conducting blood sampling in the town that year without coordinating with the mayor’s office and the MAO.
Rubio, however, insisted that the town needs to have its hogs tested so it could rightfully claim to be ASF-free.
An agriculture official also remarked that it would be unfair for towns collecting blood sampled if the provincial government would allow other municipalities to be exempted from the requirement.