ilAIlItA@SBUI'tETItl
Tuesday, November 26, 2019
Ban on movement of pigs
affects ASF-free provinces
By tttsoN 0UlSM0Rl0
The AJrican swine fever (ASF) out-
break in the country has gone from
being a health problem to an economic
problem.
. This became apparent during the
joint hearing of the House commit-
tees on Agdculture and Food and Local
Government Monday morning where
the attending conFessmen - especially
those from pr6vinces with sizable hog
industries - were more iriterested to talk
about the current challenges in moving
their porkproducts to different markets
than the threat ofthe ASF virus itsell
Tarlac third district Rep. Noel Vil-
lanueva complained that hog raisers
from his province have not been able
to reach the Iucrative market of Baguio
since they have been hampered from
transporting live pigs, its carcasses or
both.
"At present Tarlac is stillASF-free.
And yet, it is surrounded by provinces
that have issued Executive orders (EO)
prohibiting the passing of live pigs in
going to the market...we cannot pass
through Pangasjnan to reach Baguio.
Baguio is a very high-demand market
considering lthere are many tourists
therel , " bared Villanueva, chairman of
the Local Govemment Committee.
"once our dealers reach Binalonan
lin Pangasinan], we are being tumed
back We cannot penetrate Nueva Ecija
in going to the eastem part of Luzon be -
cause Nueva Ecija also issued an EO. We
cannot€nter the market in the westem
part of Luzon.because Pampanga also
issued a prohibitory order," he noted.
Department of Agriculture (DA)
Undersecretary for operatiohs Ariel
cayanan said the solution to the prob-
lem Was to "once and for all sit down
\ PA&{
and discuss" with the provincial of-
ficials.
" This is no longer a concern on ASF.
Tapos na po tayo doon. Kung makikita
niyo po yung lepidemic] cuwe, nag-
normalize na po, mukhang Pababa na
(we're done with that. If you can see
the epidemic curve, it has normalized
and seems to be.on the dow4trend).
This is more a concern on economics,
Lthe economic effectsl ofASF," Cayanan
opined.
,'Villanueva agreed, saying, "We need
to act fast or in no time at all we will see
the demise ofthe local hog industry. And
again, we will resort to importation."
The Tarlac lawmaker-stressed that
there ought to be a policy allowingASF -
- ftedpfovinces to fteely mo\€ live pigs or
their porkproducts to any province in the
country. "We need a national framework
that will be followed. Hindi pwedeng
kanya-kanya tayo dito (we shouldn't
act on our own here). "
Moments earlier, Isabela ftst district
Rep. Tonypet Albano said he and his
brother, incumbent provincial govemor
Rodito Albano, will insist on sticking
, to their own ban "until ASF is totally
endicated.J'
"tsabela was one of the first ones to
[issue] an executive order banning the
movement,of live and non-live fpork
productsl to Isabela and I think this is
one of the.reasons why Region 2 hasn't
been affected by ASF," Rep. Albano
claimed-
' 'Unfortunately
it does raise concerrE
on the econom.ic side of the hog raisers
who are not from Isabela," he said.
Despite this, he said: "This repre-
sentation objects to national agencies
inrerfeing with the ban of the province
of Isabelabecause we reallyhave to pfo -
tect the hog-Iaisers."
-'st