President orders reg’l agri office to curb swine fever; Distributes aid to Negros farmers, individuals in crisis

BACOLOD CITY – President Ferdinand R. Marcos on Sunday (Oct. 23) ordered the Department of Agriculture’s Western Visayas office to test all pig breeding sites in the region to control the spread of the African Swine Fever (ASF).

The directive came after the DA – Western Visayas regional office reported during a situation briefing in Bacolod City that cases of ASF had been reported in the area, particularly in Iloilo.

Marcos said all measures to prevent its spread is already in place, including banning pork products from infested areas.

He said testing all breeding farms for ASF is one of the most effective ways of controlling the spread of infection.

The Chief Executive also noted that one of the challenges in fighting the infection is that ASF has been reported to spread through mosquitos.

Iloilo and the whole Western Visayas region had previously been among the last few areas in the country that had remained ASF-free since the first reported outbreak in July 2019.* (Office of the Press Secretary)
(Bacolod City and Negros Occidental remain ASF-free, and started banning hogs, pork and pork by-products from Guitarist and Panay islands following confirmation that ASF is already in Oton town in Iloilo province).

FARMERS GET BBM HELP

President Ferdinand R. Marcos on Sunday (Oct. 23) led the distribution of checks to farmer organizations as well as financial assistance to individuals in crisis in Negros Occidental.

“Pagka ako’y umiikot at pumupunta sa iba’t ibang lugar, tinitiyak ko na ‘yung inaasahang tulong – na inyong inaasahang tulong na galing sa gobyerno ay tuloy-tuloy ang parating sa taong-bayan,” Marcos said in his speech at the Department of Public Works and Highways-Negros Occidental First District Engineering Office in Talisay City, Negros Occidental.

“At kaya kami nandito para tiyakin na maging maayos ang distribution, maging maayos at lahat ng mga nangangailangan ay makakatanggap,” the President pointed out.

During the program, the Department of Agriculture (DA) turned over checks amounting to P88 million to nine farmer organizations or 1,835 beneficiaries from different municipalities and cities in Negros Occidental under the Philippine Rural Development Project.

The DA, which the President heads, also distributed palay seeds to 100 farmers under the Rice Competitive Enhancement Fund.

The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), for its part, distributed P5,000 financial assistance to each of the 100 residents of Bacolod City under the DSWD’s Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situation (AICS) Program.

In his speech, the chief executive reiterated his administration’s commitment to providing assistance to Filipinos in need.

“Kaya’t habang nangangailangan ng tulong ang taong-bayan, gagawin ng gobyerno lahat para kahit papa’no ay makatulong,” Marcos said.

“Sa palagay ko naman po, basta’t ipagpatuloy natin ito, basta’t ipagpatuloy natin na pagandahin ang paghawak sa ekonomiya, sana naman hindi na tatagal, hindi niyo na kakailangan itong tulong na ito. Ngunit habang nandiyan — hanggang kailangan ninyo, nandito kami,” the President added.

Marcos was in Bacolod to lead the culminating activities of the MassKara Festival as well as the inauguration of The Upper East, a township and industrial estate development, and the unveiling of the township marker in the city.* (PND/OPS)