MORE HOGS CULLED

THE African Swine Fever (ASF) is reaching alarming levels spreading in 48 barangays in 18 towns and cities in all six districts of Pangasinan as of February 26.

Dr. Jovito Tabarejos, the assistant provincial veterinarian told the Talakayan sa Kapitolyo that there were already more than 6,000 hogs in 26 of the barangays that were already culled as a result of the implementation of the one-kilometer radius protocol.

The 48 affected barangays are (First District)- Barnagays Pangascasan, Sual; Pogonsili in Aguilar, Libsong East and Libsong West and Namoilan in Lingayen; Caloocan Norte, Caloocan Sur, Canaolan, Linoc, Naguilayan, San Isidro Norte, San Isidro Sur and Poblacion in Binmaley; Cabeldatan and Dumpay in Basista; Pantal in Bugallon; Laois and Dulig in Labrador; and Parian in Mangatarem.

(Third District) – Barangays Ambonao, Banaoang, Dinalaoian, Lumbang, Nagsaing, Nalsian Centro, Talibaew and Quesban in Calasiao; Calabaoan in San Carlos City; Balingueo, Butao and Tuliao in Sta. Barbara; Apaya, Mabalitec, Poblacion, Polong Norte and Polong Sur in Malasiqui; Baloling in Mapandan; Apalen, Carugay, Iniraga Hermoza, Pangde and Tatarac in Bayambang.

(Fourth Distict) – Barangays Carael, Dagupan City, Alitaya, Bateng, Lanas, Palua and Gueguesangen in Mangaldan, all in the Fourth District.

(Fifth District) – Barangay Cayambanan in Urdaneta City; (Sixth District) – Barangay Toboy, Asingan in the Sixth District.

Tabarejos said ASF already effectively affected 37 percent of Pangasinan but hogs in unaffected areas cannot be brought to and sold in other provinces because of ban imposed on transport of hogs in La Union, Benguet, and further up north.

Tabarejos said he remains confident that the swine disease can be stopped eventually, citing the experience of the provincial government in arresting the first ASF infections in Barangays Baloling Mapandan and Apalen, Bayambang sometime in September and November, respectively, where the one-kilometer radius protocol was first affected.

He blames the hog traders and raisers for the continued spread of ASF in the province noting how some hog raisers try to avoid losses by bringing infected hogs to still unaffected areas to avoid detection like what hog raisers in Binmaley did.

In some instances, instead of submitting their infected hogs for culling, the owners slaughter their animals and sell the meat to their neighbors even at low cost just to cut their losses while others transport infected meat slaughtered from Rizal and Bulacan in enclosed vans managing to slip through checkpoints.

Meantime, Tabarejos said he is still not ready to recommend to the Sangguniang Panlalawigan to declare a state of calamity in the province and rather let the affected towns declare their own to be able to provide financial assistance to their affected raisers. (Leonardo Micua)

 

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