To strengthen prevention and control against ASF in the Local Government Units, another batch of Virtual Forum on African Swine Fever (ASF) Prevention and Control was held on June 24 for the four (4) remaining municipalities in the province of Agusan del Norte. 

The virtual forum hosted by the DA- Regional Agriculture and Fisheries Information Section (RAFIS) aims to strengthen information dissemination and public awareness about the die-hard virus, especially in the LGUs, elaborating also the role of every barangay on the prevention and containment of such virus is detected.

On June 24, SB Members, Punong Barangays, Barangay Committee Chairperson in Agriculture, Municipal Agriculturists, and Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) Operation Officers from the Municipalities of Jabonga, RTR, Tubay, and Santiago in Agusan del Norte participated the forum.

On the other hand, a Virtual Media Briefing on Swine Mortality Insurance was also conducted for the local media practitioners regionwide where 30 media partners attended in collaboration with the Philippine Information Agency. 

Insurance Underwriter of PCIC – Northern Mindanao Engr. Ernesto Chavez underscored the necessity of availing the free insurance coverage of PCIC since it will be a safety net for the swine raisers especially with the rising ASF cases. Without the insurance, the swine raisers that will be affected after June 30 will no longer avail of any indemnification from the DA..

As per Memorandum from Agriculture Secretary William D. Dar, hogs culled due to the ASF starting July 1, 2021, will be shouldered only by the PCIC. The payout for every pig that contracts ASF has doubled from the original P5,000 to a maximum of P10,000 if the pig is insured. This is one way to ensure that hog raisers will be encouraged to report affected pigs and to halt the spreading of the virus.

Moreover, swine raisers in the Caraga region are encouraged to avail the free insurance coverage of PCIC by registering to the Registry System for Basic Sectors in Agriculture (RSBSA) and visiting their City/Municipal Agriculture Office to fill up the PCIC Livestock Application Form and filled some necessary documents.

The Virtual Forum is one of the efforts of the Regional ASF Task Force, spearheaded by its communication team to intensify awareness and strengthen cooperation among agriculture stakeholders in the region.  This is in coordination with the DILG – Caraga, Provincial Veterinary Office of Agusan del Norte, National Meat Inspection Service (NMIS) – Caraga, and the PCIC – Northern Mindanao. (Kent Warren H. Fugoso/DA-RAFIS13)