CITY OF MALOLOS – Officials are now closely monitoring Bulacan hog farms following an African Swine Fever (ASF) incident reported in Sta. Maria town which caused the province of Aurora to ban the entry of pork from the province.
Gov. Daniel Fernando immediately ordered a strict monitoring of commercial and backyard farms as he assured the public that the meat products coming from Bulacan are safe to consume.
The governor dismissed reports that ASF has again badly affect the hog industry in Bulacan saying the Sta. Maria infection remain an isolated case and has already been controlled.
He also assured the hog industry of the necessary actions the provincial government will do to support of the hog raisers.
Provincial Veterinarian Dr. Voltaire G. Basinang said on Thursday that no other ASF case was detected in Bulacan and several hog farms have already reopened since the first reported cases in 2019.
The Provincial Government of Aurora issued on Tuesday Executive Order No. 35, implementing a temporary total ban on the entry of live swine/pigs and pork products from provinces with cases of ASF into the Province of Aurora including Bulacan, Pampanga and Tarlac.
Basinang said such ban however will not affect Bulakenyo hog raisers because the bulk of the pork in the province are supplied within the province and in Metro Manila.
“Such ban made by Aurora on Bulacan’s pork was due to the recurrence an ASF case in Sta. Maria. Although it has been controlled already, Aurora issued such preventive measure. However, the ban will not affect hog raisers in Bulacan because pork in the province are being supplied to Bulacan and Metro Manila. If there is any chance that our pork is reaching Aurora, it is only a very little in percentage,” (Ang naturang ban ng Aurora sa baboy ng Bulacan ay nag ugat sa muling pagkakaroon ng kaso ng ASF sa isang babuyan sa Santa Maria. Bagama’t ang nasabing kaso ng ASF ay nakontrol na at hindi na kumalat, minabuti pa rin ng Aurora na maglatag ng pansamantalang ban sa ating mga baboy. Hindi naman ito makaka abala sa ating mga magbababoy dahil ang ating mga baboy ay sa Bulacan at Metro Manila lamang dinadala. Napakaliit na porsyento ng ating baboy ang napupunta sa Aurora kung mayroon man,”) Basinang explained.
Fernando understands the ban made by officials of Aurora but he assured the rest of the hog industry members that the provincial government is strictly implementing cleaning and disinfection measures in all the 21 towns and cities to prevent any possible spread of the isolated case in Sta. Maria.
