TACLOBAN CITY (CIO) – To prevent the spread of the African Swine Fever (ASF) the City Government of Tacloban has issued Executive Order No. 19-09-67 for the adoption of a City Preparedness and Contingency Plan and the creation of an executive committee and task force.

According to Mayor Alfred Romualdez, the enactment of the EO will establish inter-agency collaboration and protect the local hog industry and the constituents of the City.

The Executive Committee is chaired by Mayor Romauldez with City Veterinarian Doctor Eunice Alcantara as Vice-Chairperson. The composition of the 19-member committee includes, among others the City Health Office, City Engineer’s Office, City Council Chairperson of the Committee on Agriculture, City Tourism Operations Office, National Meat Inspection Service, Philippine National Police, City Information Office, Liga ng mga Barangay, Department of Trade and Industry and Farmer’s Association President.

Under the EO a Preparedness and Contingency Plan that will strictly enforce veterinary and quarantine procedures and impose the conduct of regular field surveillance and movement control will be adopted as prevention and mitigation plan against the disease.

The order also prohibits the use of catering food waste, leftovers from airport and seaports as Swine Feeds and imposes a temporary ban on the importation of domestic and wild pigs and its products from infected countries.

Six teams composed of CVO staff and PNP personnel that will act as the taskforce will be positioned in six checkpoints and the City Slaughterhouse.

Alcantara clarified that there is no recorded case yet of ASF in Tacloban and nearby municipalities, but the preventive measures are there to stop the spread of disease in the local swine industry.

The World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) considers ASF as a severe and highly contagious viral disease among domestic and wild pigs. Currently, there is no vaccine for the disease which can be spread between pigs by direct contact with an infected pig, ingestion of contaminated material, or through blood-sucking insects, if present.

Although health officials said that there is no threat to human health, the disease is known to cause disastrous economic consequences to the swine industry. – H. J, Roca/CIO

Image: City Veterinarian Dr. Eunice Alcantara explains the contents of the EO issued by Mayor Alfred S. Romualdez on the African Swine Fever (?: A. Alamos).