(TASTY LECHON. Gov. Susan Yap is joined by Sinag chairman Rosendo So [extreme right], hog raisers, board members Danilo David, Joy Gilbert Lamorena and Jude Joseph David and Ramos Mayor Diosdado Reginaldo and other officials in the lechon boodle fight. Photo courtesy of Pao Beltran)
HOG RAISERS in the province of Tarlac in cooperation with the provincial government conducted a lechon festival at the Capitol grounds last September 20 to extinguish the African Swine Fever [ASF] scare that has gripped not only the province but the entire nation as well.
Tarlac Governor Susan Yap and other local government officials led the boodle fight in an attempt to demonstrate the safety of pork in the province as around 2,500 took their share of slices from 65 lechon coming from local hog raisers.
Provincial Veterinarian Dr. Maria Lorna Baculanta said that Tarlac is free from ASF and that her office is closely monitoring all pork products entering or passing through the province.
“We are so far so good here in Tarlac. We are an ASFfree province,” she said noting that the results of tests from reported deaths of hogs in the northern towns of the province yielded negative results from ASF and hog cholera.
She added that the lechon festival was aimed to show that Tarlac remains safe from the dreaded hog disease.
Yap for her part said that she ordered concerned departments in the provincial government, including coordinating with national agencies, to conduct a non-stop monitoring activity to prevent the entry of ASF in the province.
“We issued an executive order for the temporary ban of live animals, including frozen foods coming from ASF-infected provinces,” Yap said adding that the lechon festival will now be a yearly occurrence in Tarlac.
Alfred Ng, National Federation of Hog Farmers vice chairman, lauded Tarlac’s efforts to prevent the entry of ASF in the province although he noted that people should not worry eating meat products except for health reasons.
Hog raisers who participated in the lechon festival are the Tarlac Association of swine and poultry raisers, Inc.; Pilmico Animal Nutrition Corporation; Red Dragon Feed Livestock and Foods, Inc,; Chareon Porkhand Foods Philippines Corporation; Brookside Group of Companies; Hypig Genetics Inc.; San Miguel Foods Corporation; Univet Nutrition and Animal Healthcare Company; Bamban, Concepcion and Capas Swine Group; Golden Acres Farm, Inc.; Vet Works, Inc.; Mabilang Farm; OJJ Far; Gaya Lim Farm and Wendy Tangcongco.
