The Department of Agriculture – Bureau of Animal Industry (DA-BAI) has bestowed the Recognition of Active Surveillance for African Swine Fever (RAS-ASF) Certificate upon Narra, Palawan on Monday, October 23.
Narra’s attainment of this certification was the result of a collaborative effort between the Palawan Provincial Government and the Provincial Veterinary Office (PVO).
This recognition follows a comprehensive examination conducted on October 10-11, during which all barangays in Narra tested negative for ASF. The RAS-ASF certificate is valid until April 07, 2024.
Dr. Darius P. Mangcucang, Officer-in-Charge of the PVO, explained that the RAS-ASF procedure is crucial in assessing a town’s ASF-free status.
It is also a crucial factor for farmers who wish to sell their swine, contingent on their animals testing negative for ASF.
“Local government units (LGUs) often request to conduct RAS in their municipalities through the provincial government. This involves blood sampling from various barangays to confirm that the pigs are free from the ASF threat. If all test results come back negative, the LGU is then granted the RAS-ASF certification by the BAI,” Dr. Mangcucang said.
Following this, he added, local farmers are free to transport pigs to Manila and other provinces. This ensures that the pigs purchased from a province or city are disease-free.
“For us, this certification serves as proof that we are in the Dark Green Zone, signifying that pigs have tested negative in ASF blood tests,” Dr. Mangcucang said.
Currently, the towns of Cuyo and Magsaysay have also obtained their ASF-RAS certificates from DA-BAI. The same RAS-ASF certification is anticipated to be carried out in other municipalities within the province, including Quezon, Brooke’s Point, Taytay, and others.
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