Authorities from various governmental bodies, including the Palawan Provincial Veterinary Office (ProVet), MIMAROPA’s Regional Agriculture Office, and the Animal Industry Bureau, have united in a concerted effort to combat the outbreak of African Swine fever (ASF) that has affected domestic pigs in Barangay Cocoro within the Magsaysay municipality of Palawan.
In response to the outbreak announcement, a virtual meeting was held on August 25, 2023, bringing together representatives from the Department of Agriculture (DA) in MIMAROPA, the Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI), the Palawan Provincial Veterinary Office (ProVet), and the Municipal Agriculture Office (MAO) of Magsaysay.
The primary objective of this meeting was to devise a comprehensive strategy to both halt the current outbreak and prevent its spread to neighboring municipalities.
Engr. Ma. Christine Inting, DA Mimaropa’s Regional Executive Director, emphasized the need for swift action.
Among the measures discussed was the immediate restriction of pig movement out of the affected town in order to contain the outbreak’s reach, particularly preventing its transmission to nearby areas such as Cuyo and Agutaya.
Tests conducted by the BAI confirmed that out of the six blood samples collected by ProVet in Barangay Cocoro, five tested positive for ASF using the reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RTPCR) method.
Dr. Darius Mangcucang, officer-in-charge of ProVet, revealed that the ASF-related deaths initially reported on July 14, 2023, have escalated, resulting in approximately 300 pig casualties due to the disease.
Dr. Ed Zamora, the BAI ASF Coordinator for Mimaropa and Bicol regions, provided insights into the zoning protocol that will guide the authorities in their actions. He stressed the importance of meticulous documentation to evaluate the impact of the outbreak on hog raisers in the region.
Barangay Cocoro, situated within Magsaysay, is one of the 11 island barangays in the area. Currently, there are 80 hog raisers responsible for tending to a total of 282 pigs, encompassing piglets, sows, and boars. The collective efforts of these agencies aim to contain the ASF outbreak and mitigate its effects on the local pig farming community.