Maria Teresa B.

Carido
EMDRCM 2021
SRO: Strategies for Organizational Resilience Business Continuity; and Operations Management for DRC Managers

DA and the African Swine Fever Case

Introduction
According to a briefer to the Department of Agriculture MIMAROPA, the swine sector in the
Philippines is prevalently small-scale, but it is a vital source of economic growth in the Philippines. It
is considered a significant source of animal protein, and its demand has been historically expanding
with a yearly per capita consumption of 15.07kg [CITATION Dep19 \l 1033 ].

This Enterprise Risk Management (ERM) is developed for the Department of Agriculture that
currently manages the control of the biological risk that threatens the swine sector in our country,
the African Swine Fever (ASF). Several facts and figures that are included in this case are based on
the copy of the reports and updates given by colleagues in the Department of Agriculture. The
information and recommendation in this paper are based on the first had information that was
mentioned during the discussions with the Regulatory Division’s veterinarian and staff. The strategic
objectives that were developed in this paper are set to be achieved within the year that the state of
calamity is imposed in the country.

Swine Sector and ASF in the Philippines

United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) defines African swine fever (ASF) as a highly
transmissible and lethal viral disease affecting equally local and wild swine across different ages.
They also stated that it is not a threat to human health and not contagious from pigs to humans.
Furthermore, they also mentioned that ASF is found in countries all over the world, especially in sub-
Saharan Africa. In addition, it has spread up to China, Mongolia, and Vietnam, as well as in some
parts of the European Union [CITATION USD21 \l 1033 ].

The threat of ASF comprises 100% mortality with the absence of a vaccine. The disease is
highly resistant to low temperature, and its infection is through direct contact with the host. Its
survival in the blood is up to one month at 37 0C, up to 11 days in feces, up to 15 weeks in meat, and
up to 3-6 months in hams and sausages. It impacts a broad stakeholder base from swine farmers to
traders, including processors, meat product manufacturing, allied industries like pharmaceutical,
other farm commodities, and of course, consumers. It has vital effects on the availability of supply
and stable market price. [ CITATION Dep19 \l 1033 ]

Based on the ASF situation in Asia & Pacific update by the Food and Agriculture
Organization, ASF has been reported on Luzon, Mindanao, Leyte, and Samar Islands since the
Department of Agriculture (DA) confirmed the first outbreak started in July 2019. ASF has dispersed
to 12 regions, 46 provinces, 493 cities and municipalities, and 2,561 villages nationwide since it hit
the country in 2019. The Misamis Oriental Provincial Veterinary Office reported that seven
municipalities and 30 barangays in the province had been affected by ASF. DA confirmed that ASF is
still present in 19 districts in Leyte, Southern Leyte, Samar, and Northern Samar in Eastern Visayas
Region on May 4. ([ CITATION UNF21 \l 1033 ]

The following figure shows the ASF positive samples from August 2019 to March 2021 in the
Philippines as reported by the National African Swine Fever Task Force. The figure also shows the
map of ASF cases in the country, including the number of culled animals per province. [ CITATION
Cas21 \l 1033 ]

1|Page
Maria Teresa B. Carido
EMDRCM 2021
SRO: Strategies for Organizational Resilience Business Continuity; and Operations Management for DRC Managers

Source: National African Swine Fever Task Force

DA Profile
The Department of Agriculture (DA) is a member of the executive department of the
Philippine government that is responsible for the advancement of agricultural and fisheries
development and growth, delivering the support services, public investments, and policy framework
needed for domestic and export-oriented commercial initiatives. This executive department function
includes the encouragement of the participation of people in the development of agriculture
through sectoral representation in policy-making bodies to ensure that programs, policies, and plans
of the agency are formulated and implemented to fulfill their needs. Furthermore, the department is
primarily in charge of the regulation and supervising of programs and actions relating to agriculture,
food production, and supply. It endorses and enforces all laws, rules, and regulations governing the
appropriate consumption of agricultural and fishery supplies. [CITATION Man21 \l 1033 ]

It has seven attached agencies that include Agricultural Training Institute (ATI), Bureau of
Agriculture and Fishery Standards (BFS), Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI), Bureau of Agricultural
Research (BAR), Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR), Bureau of Plant Industry (BPI),
Bureau of Soils and Water Management (BSWM), and Bureau of Agricultural and Fisheries
Engineering (BAFE). These bureaus are responsible for implementing programs and projects to a
different sector in agriculture, depending on their mandate. The office that regulates the licensing
and registration and regulates the manufacturing, importation, distribution, and monitoring of
veterinary drugs and products, veterinary biological products, and veterinary drug establishments is
the Bureau of Animal Industry or BAI [ CITATION For21 \l 1033 ].

Actions of the department to curb ASF included a collaboration together with DOH through
Food and Drug Administration (FDA) that are working hand in hand in implementing heightened
quarantine actions against ASF [ CITATION DAC19 \l 1033 ]. The Department of Agriculture, through
the BAI — in partnership with Zoetis, a US vaccine, and global health company, has started initial
vaccine trials in areas previously impacted by the feared ASF [ CITATION DAC21 \l 1033 ].

On May 10, 2021, President Rodrigo Duterte declared a state of calamity for a period of one
year in the entire Philippines due to ASF. After the endorsement of the National Disaster Risk

2|Page
Maria Teresa B. Carido
EMDRCM 2021
SRO: Strategies for Organizational Resilience Business Continuity; and Operations Management for DRC Managers
Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC), President Duterte announced a state of calamity.
[ CITATION Git21 \l 1033 ]

3|Page
Maria Teresa B. Carido
EMDRCM 2021
SRO: Strategies for Organizational Resilience Business Continuity; and Operations Management for DRC Managers

Impact-Objective Matrix
Objective Attribute Event Catastrophic Major Minor
100% ASF-free meat ASF cases Failure to eradicate More than 2 outlets in more 1-2 meat outlets in more One meat outlet infested
outlets in 17 regions ASF cases than 2 barangays infected than 1 barangay infested with African Swine Fever
by the end of 2022 with African Swine Fever with African Swine Fever (ASF)
(ASF) (ASF)

100% Compliance Failure to prevent 1-2 hog industry or 1-2 hog industry or One hog industry or
compliance of hog the number of backyard raiser in more backyard raiser in 2 backyard raiser violated
of hog industries, industries violators than two barangays barangays violated the the laws and policies
including backyard violated the laws and laws and policies related related to animal health
raisers to laws and policies related to animal to animal health and and food security.
policies related to health and food security. food security.
animal health and
food security all year Laws and Failure to control 1-2 hog industry or 1-2 hog industry or One hog industry or
round policies the number of law backyard raiser in more backyard raiser in 2 backyard raiser in a
violation and policies than 2 barangays failed to barangays failed to barangay failed to comply
violated comply with more than 2 comply with 1 or 2 major with one major policy
major policies related to policies related to animal related to animal health
animal health and food health and food security. and food security.
security.
100 % availability of Government Unavailability of More than two testing 1-2 testing laboratories One testing laboratory in
government samples testing Government testing laboratories in more than in 1-2 regions that are one region that is unable
testing laboratories laboratory’s laboratories two regions that are unable unable to test samples to test samples within
all year round availability to test samples within one within one week one week
week

Enhanced Failure to collect Unable to collect samples of Unable to collect Unable to collect samples
Samples samples for testing pork meat in more than two samples of pork meat in of pork meat in one hog

4|Page
Maria Teresa B. Carido
EMDRCM 2021
SRO: Strategies for Organizational Resilience Business Continuity; and Operations Management for DRC Managers
Collection hog farm or hog backyard 1-2 hog farm or hog farm or hog backyard
farm with suspected ASF backyard farm with farm with suspected ASF
infestation suspected ASF infestation
infestation

100% Local Synchronize Failure to 1-2 LGU in more than one 1-2 LGU in one region One LGU in one region
Government Unit d synchronize the region that is unable to that is unable to that is unable to
(LGU) Synchronized surveillance surveillance and synchronize the surveillance synchronize the synchronize the
surveillance and and monitoring system and monitoring system surveillance and surveillance and
monitoring system all monitoring monitoring system monitoring system
year round system

Control-Strength Assessment
Attributes Event Controls/Capacity
ASF cases Failure to eradicate ASF cases  Implementation of 1-7-10 protocol
o Quarantine Zone (1km radius) to contain the infection
o Surveillance Zone (7km radius) to detect the extent of the infection
o Control Zone (10km radius) to detect infection at an early stage through
mandatory disease reporting
 Elevated quarantine measures in place
 Creation of an ASF Zoning reclassification issuance
 Started an initial ASF vaccine trial in collaboration with a US vaccine company

Compliance of hog Failure to prevent the number of  Mobilization of Bantay ASF Teams
industries violators  Creation of local ordinance against violators
 Webinar for farm workers and managers on minimum farm biosecurity
 Distribution of Biosecurity manual and farm biosecurity audit checks

Laws and policies Failure to control the number of  Mobilization of Bantay ASF Teams

5|Page
Maria Teresa B. Carido
EMDRCM 2021
SRO: Strategies for Organizational Resilience Business Continuity; and Operations Management for DRC Managers
violation law and policies violated  Creation of local ordinance against violators
Government testing Unavailability of Government  Development of rapid test kits in collaboration with various academic institutions
laboratory’s testing laboratories  Enhanced laboratory capacity and expanded laboratory network to support and
availability complement ASF surveillance
 Conduct of needs assessment in Regional Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratories
(RADDLs)
Enhanced Samples Failure to collect samples for  Serological surveillance
Collection testing  Risk-based sample collection

Synchronized Failure to synchronize the  Develop and implement Surveillance and Monitoring Protocol
surveillance and surveillance and monitoring system  Establishment of effective border checkpoints
monitoring system  Barangay Surveillance system

6|Page
Maria Teresa B. Carido
EMDRCM 2021
SRO: Strategies for Organizational Resilience Business Continuity; and Operations Management for DRC Managers

Risk Scores
Attributes Severity Likelihood Controls
ASF cases 3 3 1
Compliance of hog industries 3 2 2
Laws and policies violation 2 2 2
Government testing laboratory’s availability 2 1 3
Enhanced Samples Collection 1 1 2
Synchronized surveillance and monitoring 3 3 1
system

Risk Matrix Analysis

Risk Evaluation and Treatment

Based on the severity, likelihood, and controls risk scores assessment and risk matrix
analysis, the following treatments are proposed:

 Establish a targeted communication to the stakeholders with high interest and high power
over the ASF situation in the Philippines. It will give way to aware stakeholders and the
general public on their roles and responsibilities in the control, prevention, and eradication
of ASF in the country.
 A communication plan for market meat processors and vendors, small-hold swine farmers,
and swine and pork traders should be in place.
 Development of ASF Communication plan and hiring of a communication group to ensure
that all pieces of information are properly communicated from the enormous hog industry
players down to the backyard raisers.
 Secure Local Government Units (LGUs) Commitment through policies and incentives to
strengthen the surveillance and monitoring system in the country.

7|Page
Maria Teresa B. Carido
EMDRCM 2021
SRO: Strategies for Organizational Resilience Business Continuity; and Operations Management for DRC Managers

 Strengthen the inter-agency coordination of the Department of Agriculture (DA) with

government offices that are involved in ASF response, such as the Department of Trade and
Industry (DTI), National Disaster Risk Reduction Council (NDRRMC), Bureau of Customs
(BOC), and Department of Health (DOH).
 Upgrade and establish information management systems enabling effective traceability for
farms, vehicles, animal products.
 Establish the online application system for animals, animal facilities, vehicles, and animal
products.
 Develop an online tracking and traceability system and an SMS verifiable system of hog
products. Create a GPS -linked shipping permits for pork meat and by-products.
 Create a database consolidation for swine farms, traders, meat processing plants,
slaughterhouses.

REFERENCES

Castro, S. (2021). Updates in the African Swine Fever. Quezon City: National African Swine Fever Task
Force.

DA Communications Group. (2019, November 4). Department of Agriculture. Retrieved from

https://www.da.gov.ph/gallery/da-doh-presscon-on-asf/

DA Communications Group. (2021, April 28). Retrieved from Department of Agriculture:

https://www.da.gov.ph/da-bai-starts-asf-vaccine-trials/

DA MIMAROPA. (2019). GOVERNMENT INTERVENTION IN ASF CONTROL AND. Quezon City.

Department of Agriculture. (2021). Retrieved from https://www.da.gov.ph/mandate/

Forms Philippines. (2021). Retrieved from https://www.formsphilippines.com/agency/102/bureau-

of-animal-industry-bai-

Gita-Carlos, R. (2021, May 11). Philippine News Agency. Retrieved from

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1139854

UN-FAO. (2021, May 13). ASF situation in Asia & Pacific update. Rome: UN FAO.

USDA. (2021, March 18). Retrieved from Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service:
https://www.aphis.usda.gov/aphis/ourfocus/animalhealth/animal-disease-
information/swine-disease-information/african-swine-fever/seminar#:~:text=ASF%20is
%20not%20a%20threat,parts%20of%20the%20European%20Union.

8|Page