Press Release
March 13, 2021

Pangilinan reassures hog-raisers: Senate to work on declaration of state of calamity to unlock funds vs ASF

AS Filipino hog-raisers continue to suffer the effects of the African swine flu (ASF), Senator Francis "Kiko" Pangilinan reassures them that the Senate will pass on Monday the resolution urging the President to declare a state of calamity due to what has been called Covid of pigs.

Pangilinan made the statement after senators on Wednesday (March 10) agreed with his resolution urging the Department of Agriculture (DA) to recommend to the President the declaration of a state of calamity due to ASF.

On Thursday (March 11), the former food security czar met with agriculture stakeholders in Isabela who told him that over 80 percent of the pigs culled in Cagayan Valley (Region 2) are from the province. He told them his Proposed Senate Resolution 676 was met with approval from his colleagues.

"Iyan ay ipapasa na namin sa Lunes," Pangilinan told Isabela farmers and farmers' cooperatives in an online consultation.

Proposed Senate Resolution No. 676, filed Wednesday (March 10), cites the possible use of the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Fund and Quick Response Fund to supplement the DA's efforts to contain and manage ASF.

Said funds can only be utilized if a state of calamity is declared.

"Pag meron nang deklarasyon ng state of calamity, yung 20-billion-peso calamity fund ng NDRRMC ngayon, pwedeng kunin dyan ng DA ang kulang na pondo nila para sa ASF. Dahil may national state of calamity at may disaster fund, kukunin at ilalaan ito para sa sektor ng magbababoy," Pangilinan said.

"Kapag nagdeclare ng state of calamity, iyong savings na maaring malikom pwede ring ire-align at dalhin sa sektor ng magbabababoy." he added.

According to DA Regional Director for Cagayan Valley (Region 2) Narciso Edillo, only 4 of the 37 municipalities in Isabela remain ASF-free with all towns in the mainland already infected.

"Yung livelihood, nakakuha naman tayo ng konti sa Bayanihan. At iyon po ang ginagawa namin: iyong repopulation, iyon pong mga na-ASF. Region 2, lalo na po sa Isabela, grabe and epekto ng ASF," Edillo said.

According to the agriculture regional director, the region still owes hog-raisers 169 million pesos for the culled pigs. He said the Department of Budget and Management is yet to release the fund.

Engr. Dominador Lamug, municipal agriculturist of San Agustin in Isabela and representative of the San Agustin Dairy Farm, reported that hog-raisers are struggling to start over.

"Nagkaroon po kami ng ASF dito. Medyo nawalan na po kami ng mga baboy dito sa San Agustin. Before ASF, meron kaming 2,826 na baboy. Pero ngayon, 1,200 na lang. So ang kailangan po namin, pa'no po kami mag-umpisa ulit?" Lamug said.

"Isa pa po, iyong ma na-cull namin, hinihiling ng mga farmers na sana mabayaran na rin ng gobyerno para maumpisa ulit ang pagho-hog," he said.

Pangilinan proposed that hog-raisers be the priority in hiring for cash-for-work programs related to ASF.

"Kailangang sila ang priority na bigyan ng trabaho para yung kinita nila sa pagbabantay, pupunuan yung nawala nilang kita sa baboy. Para meron naman silang pinagkukunan ng panggastos sa pang-araw-araw dahil sila naman ngayon ang nagmomobilisa sa barangay para bantayan yung ASF. Pondo rin yun na manggagaling kung merong calamity declaration," the senator said.

As of December 2020, the ASF outbreak has already cost the Philippine swine industry 56 billion pesos.

The ASF outbreak is blamed for the spike in retail prices of pork due to the dwindling supply in Luzon.

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