EDITORIAL

by Cherie Ann I. Dela Vega

Phantom of ASF
The outbreak of African Swine Fever (ASF) in the province of Aklan has brought
devastation to the hog raisers and pork consumers of the province. Even though an Executive
No. 045 was issued on October last year, disallowing the entry of any swine or pork-based/pork
products from other provinces to prevent the entry of ASF the contagious disease still has
penetrated hogs on Balete town.
Despite all the intensified efforts of Local Government to obviate the spread of the fatal
disease as it formerly infected two confirmed cases from the town of Balete, it seems that their
actions are still not enough because the disease has already permeated seven out of 17 towns
of the province a month after the first reported cases.
First of all, the authorities lack of alcohol to disinfect the whole affected areas.
According to research, ASF is caused by a virus that is lethal and infectious to pigs. That’s why
downright disinfections is very necessary to prevent further infections of ASF to all of the
province’s hogs. Hence, shortage of alcohols for disinfections allows and give the disease more
time to attack the poor and defenseless hogs.
Another reason that the prevalence of ASF seems to be unstoppable in Aklan is that the
hog raisers are unaware of the disease’s symptoms to the infected hogs. Also, they don’t know
how to care and save their raised hogs. Also, they don’t know how to care and save their raised
hogs from dying and experiencing the miseries that ASF has nailed to it. Hence, if their pigs was
infected and they didn’t notice it earlier, there’s nothing else they can do to save it especially
when there’s no cure yet for this disease.
Furthermore, there is no treatment or medicine available for this disease as stated by
the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). When one hog is infected in a hog pen together
with many other hogs, there is no guarantee that all of the other hogs will be saved. But rather
ASF will be infused to all of each one. Particularly to hogs with no health protection. Worst,
either when infected hogs were not eliminated well on the area where hogs died due to ASF
was not well-disinfected, ASF will come across the near places and search for another available
hogs to target and infect. Hence, it continues to spread.
Although the Aklan’s local government officials ordered to tighten the border control
point, checking on the traveler’s baggages if they’re secretly transporting any pork-based or
products and confiscate the hogs of those individuals whose caught travelling hogs from place
to another place with no permit from Barangay officials and Department of Agriculture (DA)
officials. But this prevention is not enough. As long as we can’t see nor sense the presence of
ASF, we’re in so much disadvantage.
Consequently, the Local Government of Aklan should encourage the alcohol
manufacturers to produce more alcohol in order to sustain the thorough disinfections
particularly in the ASF affected area in the province. The Authorities of the Office of Provincial
Veterinarian (OPVET) of Aklan must also do in all their power to inspect every hogs when
possible in the affected towns to further ensure the safety of other uninfected hogs.
To end an endemic caused by ASF, comes up with many little solutions. Solve each little
problems one by one and add it up quickly for it could basically contribute a lot to stop the
spread of ASF. Immediately disseminate precise information to raise awareness and prevention
against ASF because ignorance is what makes us vulnerable even with just the phantom of ASF.
EDITORIAL
Prevention is Better than Cure

Now that Aklan is under the State of Calamity due to outbreak of African Swine Fever
(ASF) that has brought hog health threats in the province. What should the government do?
How can we cope up against the significant challenges for livestock industries in the province?
Based on statistics, Aklan has a total of number of 110,000 pigs and 97 percent are
backyard raised. However, the Department of Agriculture-Western Visayas tested the
convective polymerase chain reaction (CPCR) and detected at least 18 ASF cases among local
pigs. Such a worrisome regarding to the rapid increase of ASF cases compare from the former
confirmed two cases detected from Balete town.
Unfortunately when ASF cases continues to rise, it will negatively affect the swine
livestock industry in the province and even in the whole country. Hence, many families will lose
its livestock and income severity. Besides, ASF will also minimize the number of swine in Aklan if
strict biosecurity is not properly carried and no proper and efficient disinfection was
accomplished.
Henceforth, the local government must downright undertake actions to put an end to
the further spread of the disease. They must raise awareness and should implement training
programs for the hog raisers, veterinarians, and the public. Implement biosecurity measure
especially to the pig owners who has backyard hog-raising enterprise.
The authorities should also implement ASF surveillance from time-to-time to the
affected areas and all over the province when possible to ensure that ASF won’t set foot on the
other towns and even out of the province. They should also strictly prohibit the travelling and
transporting of hogs from one place to another. They must go wider thorough inspection and
check whether the swine and the travelling cab is ASF free. ASF spreads mainly through the
movement of infected pork and other products, as well as live animals.
Through an Executive Order No. 21 issued by the Governor of Aklan that totally disallow
entry of live swine, products and by products, raw, processed as cooked products unregistered
with Food and Drug Administration (FDA) coming from ASF-infected territories and all province
in the country. They must also confiscate travelling of swines with no permit from officials.
However, confiscated risk materials should be destroyed or disposed and not dumped
where it can be accessed by scavengers. Food waste is commonly used as a cheap source of
food for pigs. However, its use is a very dangerous practice. Hence, the Department of
Agriculture in Western Visayas (DA 6) has reiterated its call for farmers to stop swill feeding to
prevent the spread of ASF.
Despite all the implementation of biosecurity measures, border control pint, banning of
swine travelling and transporting, prohibition of swill feeding and disinfections, the ASF still
managed to pierce through our province’s prevention of the ASF’s development. There is no
vaccine available to stop this disease but prevention is always better than cure.
EDITORIAL
Save Much than Lose All

Backyard raising of livestock is a profitable venture of Filipino families. Hog raising for
swine productions is commonly a multi-million business in the country. It is the largest among
the livestock and poultry industries. And also essential because it can provide livestock and
income security that each family needs.
According to Veterinaria Digital, the swine industry accounts for almost 55% of the total
animal industry making it the biggest contribution in the Philippines. However, the outbreak of
African Swine Fever (ASF) forced the industry to drop its growth.
There was approximately 9.43 million heads of total number of hogs in farms in the
Philippines as of the year 2022. Implied a decline from the previous year inventory which was
estimated at 9.87 million heads. This means that the government struggles to stop the drop of
swine inventory number.
 On the other hand, the recent report from Unite State Department of Agriculture
(USDA) stated that pork production and pork import in the Philippines are expected to decrease
due to recent ASF outbreaks and high pork prices in the International market. This means that
the country might have shortage of pork production supplies.
Nevertheless, for as many as 81 ASF outbreaks were reported in 26
provinces/municipalities as of April 24 this year while 4 073 pigs were culled to stop the spread
of the diseases.
With the terror brought by the ASF outbreaks in the country caused worrisome to
Filipino hog raisers as well. Without vaccine to care the terminal viral infection, the disease will
thrive to spread especially with poor biosecurity practices.
The national and local authorities should seriously work out hardly to toughen border
control policy and system to save the Philippines swine industry. And also help those hog
raisers by providing them financial aids.
To further save the remains of the swine industry and protect the continued supply of
pork is to implement “Grow and Eat Local” territories and banning the entry of non-locally
produced livestock and products as claimed from the PhilStar. It’s better to save much that lose
it all.