AMID THE SPREAD OF ASF Declare state of calamity, group asks Marcos

Farmers’ group Pork Producers Federation of the Philippines (PPFP) yesterday asked President Marcos to declare a national state of calamity amid the spread of African swine fever (ASF) in the country.

- BELLA CARIASO

AGAP party-list Rep. Nicanor Briones, PPFP chair, said at a press conference that the declaration of a state of calamity nationwide is necessary for the government to order a mass vaccination of hogs to contain the ASF outbreak.

“As early as now, (the government) should declare a national emergency or state of calamity in the entire country and allot at least P5.4 billion for mass vaccination,” Briones said.

He added that Marcos could tap the calamity fund to finance the procurement of ASF vaccines, noting that 5.4 million backyard hog raisers in the country could not afford the P600-per-dose cost of vaccine.

Briones said the Department of Agriculture (DA)’s plan to procure 10,000 doses of ASF vaccine is not enough to cover all the hogs in Batangas alone.

“We already lost P150 billion (since the outbreak of ASF in 2019) and there is now a resurgence of the outbreak. It is important to allocate funds for the vaccination of all the hogs,” Briones stressed.