PRESIDENT Ferdinand R. Marcos on Sunday ordered the Department of Agriculture regional office in Western Visayas (DA-6) to test all pig breeding sites in the region to curb the spread of the African swine fever (ASF).
The directive came after the DA-6 reported that cases of ASF had been reported in the area, particularly in Iloilo, according to a press release from Malacañang.
During a situation briefing in Bacolod City, Marcos assured the regional office that all measures to prevent the spread of ASF are already in place, including banning pork products from infested areas.
Testing all breeding farms for ASF is one of the most effective ways of controlling the spread of infection, he added.
Meanwhile, Marcos also cited studies that show the possibility of mosquitoes being involved in the transmission of ASF.
Iloilo and the whole Western Visayas region had previously been among the last few areas in the country that had remained ASF-free since the first reported outbreak in July 2019.
On Friday, Marcos met with the agriculture cluster of the Private Sector Advisory Council (PSAC) and issued directives to control ASF, including a temporary ban on pork products from outside Panay Island.
In the same meeting, Marcos and members of the PSAC discussed his administration’s agriculture priorities.
The PSAC, formed in July, is composed of business leaders to enable the administration to meet its economic objectives with the big corporations’ help and support.
His previous meetings with PSAC focused on talks over possible partnerships to improve and strengthen agriculture, health, infrastructure, water, energy and tourism sectors. (PNA)