In Bohol fiestas, food gifts halted to stop ASF spread
TAGBILARAN CITY—A town in Bohol province has disallowed the practice of food giveaways during its fiesta celebration in a bid to prevent the spread of African swine fever (ASF).
In her Executive Order (EO) No. 4 on Tuesday, Carmen Mayor Conchita Toribio delos Reyes had prohibited the giving of raw or cooked pork to visitors and other fiesta goers in two of its 29 villages where there are active cases or incidents of swine fever.
In barangays where there are no ASF cases, residents are “highly discouraged” to stop offering food for their guests to bring home.
Carmen, home to the world-famous Chocolate Hills, celebrates its fiesta on Jan. 16 and Jan. 17 in honor of St. Anthony the Abbot. It has been a tradition in Bohol to offer food, either raw or cooked meat or other dishes, to visitors for them to bring home after dining with the family during fiesta celebrations.
But according to Delos Reyes, the people of Carmen now have the moral obligation to help in preventing the spread of the swine disease.
In Carmen, at least 59 pigs from two villages—Nueva Vida Norte and Buenos Aires—were culled after they were found positive for the virus causing ASF.
As of Jan. 11, ASF had affected 10 barangays in the towns of San Miguel, Batuan, Ubay, Carmen, Pilar and Trinidad.
Gov. Erico Aristotle Aumentado on Jan. 7 issued two executive orders to curb the spread of the animal disease. EO 57 imposes an immediate moratorium on “boar-for-hire activities” for six months while EO 58 which mandates the accreditation of hog traders to ensure proper monitoring and regulation of hog-related activities.
‘Boar-for-hire’
Aumentado said “boar-for-hire” has been identified as one of the primary causes of the recent ASF outbreak in central Bohol. The practice involves offering boars or mature male pigs, locally known as “butakal,” for a fee to inseminate sows.
“We have spent millions [of pesos] to save the livelihood of our farmers because it is very important for the development of our economy. We also see that the results of the initiatives that have been made are positive. Because of this, I urge everyone to take seriously the concern and the protection of our hog industry,” he said.
Authorities still prohibit the entry to Bohol of pork and pork products from other provinces with reported cases of ASF to protect the province’s P6-billion livestock industry.
According to the National Meat Inspection Service, ASF is a highly contagious viral disease that affects pigs, warthogs and boars. It causes pigs to have high fever and lose their appetite, and causes hemorrhages in the skin and internal organs.
Pigs die in a span of two to 10 days upon affliction. There is no known vaccine yet against ASF.
But according to health officials, ASF does not pose any threats to human, clarifying that other pork products from infected areas are safe to eat.
