(Photo grabbed from web)
BALANGA CITY — The provincial government on Thursday set up an animal quarantine checkpoint in Hermosa town to prevent entry of swine diseases.
Dr. Alberto Venturina, provincial veterinarian, said they installed the checkpoint in Barangay Palihan manned by veterinarians and members of the Philippine National Police and Metro Bataan Development Authority.
“Lahat ng baboy na papasok sa Bataan ay dapat macheck at kailangan may mga permit tulad ng veterinary certificate na ang nag issue ay ang city o provincial veterinarian kung saan nanggaling ang mga baboy at shipping permit mula sa Bureau of Animal Industry,” he said.
He clarified though that there was no report yet of pigs inflicted by swine disease in the province.
“Ayon sa report sa akin at maging sa monitoring namin at inspection sa mga farms, wala pang namamatay na baboy sa Bataan,” Venturina said.
He disclosed that there are 35 commercial piggery farms in 11 towns and one city with 5,411 sows. The number, he said, does not include those in backyards.
Aside from setting-up a quarantine checkpoint, he said that he left specific instructions to avoid hogs in Bataan farms from being infected with any disease.
“Sa mga commercial piggery at backyard piggery, sinabihan natin na huwag silang mag-introduce ng new stocks. Kailangan ang mga buyer nila ay sa gate lang ang transaction at huwag papasok. Ang mga sasakyan dapat disinfected,” Venturina said.
The provincial veterinarian said that Agriculture Secretary William Dar described the incidents in Rizal province as severe swine disease outbreak and not yet confirmed as African Swine Fever pending results of laboratory tests.
Venturina said the Department of Agriculture has issued an administrative order detailing guidelines on food safety measures and veterinary quarantine procedures.
