DINALUPIHAN, Bataan — Sale of pork in four municipalities in this province went down due to the incidence of the African swine fever (ASF) in two of the towns, meat vendors said Friday.
Laboratory tests Wednesday showed that the virus was found positive in some piggeries in four barangays of Dinalupihan and one in Hermosa.
Dinalupihan Mayor Maria Angela Garcia and Hermosa municipal administrator Rex Jorge confirmed the report and said they were implementing measures for the virus not to spread.
The meat section in the Dinalupihan public market that had plenty of pork on Thursday had less of the hog meat on Friday.
Virgilio Sacdalan who vends chicken and pork was selling only chicken.
Many tables in the meat section were empty.
“Iniutos na huwag magtinda kahapon, ipinasara ni mayora (Mayor Garcia) ang slaughterhouse gawa ng nagpositibo sa ASF. Baka one month daw kaming hindi magtitinda,” Sacdalan said.
Sacdalan and most of the meat vendors sourced their supply from the Tabacan slaughterhouse in Dinalupihan which was ordered close on Thursday.
He said some were still selling pork but with only few buyers.
Evelyn Trinidad and Marita San Diego were two of the meat vendors in the Dinalupihan public market.
Asked how her sale was, Trinidad answered: “Matumal, sabi may sakit daw baboy. Sa amin walang sakit. Tatlong araw nang matumal.”
“Mahina. Natatakot mga tao kahit ang baboy namin walang swine flu. Nadamay sa iba,” San Diego said.
They said they sourced their hog meat from piggeries not aff ected by ASF.
At the Hermosa public market, there were vendors selling pork.
“Tumumal. Iba ayaw mamili dahil sa balitang ASF,” Lanie Vitug said of her hog meat sale.
She said their stock came from Hermosa with complete meat inspection approval.
In the public markets of Orani and Samal, towns without any case of ASF yet, the effect of ASF was felt being towns adjacent to Dinalupihan and Hermosa.
“Nang magkaroon ng ASF, matumal ang benta. Dati anim, apat, limang baboy, ngayon tatlo na lamang nauubos,” Evelyn Lacsa at the Orani public market said.
Loida Carasig at the Samal public market said “Dati nakakaubos kami ng isang baboy, ngayon one-fourth na lang hindi pa maubos.”
She said that liempo was still at P240 a kilo.
Reliable sources said that at least 200 matured hogs were culled and buried Friday in only one of the four affected barangays in Dinalupihan.
Culling reportedly took place in the three other barangays.
It was learned that owners were paid P5,000 per pig killed. “Ang dumedede walang bayad,” one source said.
“Rest assured that we will conduct operations with the guidance of national agencies concerned,” Mayor Garcia said in a message.
