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| (Image Source: Manila Bulletin) |
On July 7, 2020, Lipa City registered its first confirmed case of African Swine Fever (ASF), a highly contagious disease that affects swine, from a commercial backyard farm. Since then, fourteen villages were affected by the pandemic that has been gravely affecting the pig industry in the city and across the country with the hog population decreased by over 40% from an estimated pre-ASF total of 200,000 in which 40% are from backyard and smallholder farmers and the rest are from commercial farms. One year later, Lipa City is among the first in the province of Batangas and possibly in the country to be declared ASF-free by the Department of Agriculture (DA) along with six municipalities across the province.
Through the concentrated efforts of the hog farmers and the city government under Mayor Eric B. Africa, the City For All Seasons managed not only to keep ASF to a minimum within its borders but also to eradicate it altogether for now. Of course, the city made the necessarily essential preparations to combat the dreaded disease before it was reported on Philippine shores. But their preparations and efforts were challenged by many various factors including the COVID-19 pandemic, gaining the trust of the local hog farmers, manpower inadequacies and budgetary constraints. Although the city is ASF-free, there is a possibility that the disease will reappear due to several risks and factors to be considered and the local hog industry cannot let its guard down. Despite the uncertainties, behind the city's undauntingly successful fight against ASF is the City Veterinarian Dr. Samuel P. Comia who has a Masters degree in Development Management and Governance, an associate member od the Philippine College of Veterinary Epidemiologists (PCVE) and a past president of the Philippine Veterinary Medical Association (PVMA) - Batangas Chapter.
In an interview with Manila Bulletin, Dr. Comia explains and enumerates in full detail how the city is able to control the spread of the ASF within its borders and eventually managed to start recovering from the swine industry's pandemic, "Even before the first confirmed case of ASF in Rizal province in August of 2019, the city has been actively participating in several focused group discussions with the Provincial Veterinary Office , DA Region IV A, ATI –ITCPH, Philippine Veterinary Medical Association (PVMA) Batangas Chapter and private stakeholders on the contingency plans. The City Veterinary Office (CVO) also immediately organized our technical personnels into Quick Response Team with five sub teams: Rapid Action, Animal Movement Control, Surveillance, Information, and Education and Logistics. ASF awareness seminars in the barangays with a high density pig population started in May 2019 and are still continuing. Eight Animal Quarantine Checkpoints were immediately established in mid-August of 2019 in different intra and inter city/ municipality borders. Passive surveillance activities were also conducted by our field personnel and barangay based paraveterinarians. By September 2019, Mayor Eric B. Africa issued an Executive Order creating the city’s ASF Task Force."
“When it hit Lipa, shortage in the supply of live pigs and pork was already felt Luzon-wide. Due to the mandatory and farm-initiated mass culling due to ASF-fear, there was a decrease in farm inventories and fresh pork supply in meat markets. As with any applicable law of supply and demand cases, the surge in prices are seen and felt by both traders and consumers. We believe that ASF cannot be eradicated at this point in time since vaccine development is at its clinical trial currently," Dr. Comia added. On how the city managed to control the spread within its borders, he emphasized the following steps: "(a) We assess ourselves, technically, personally and as a team, including the physical resources we have and even measure our progress; (b) network with veterinarians, specialists, and other animal industry players; (c) solicit political and legislative support; (d) studied policy documents and relate it to our operational capacities (we disregard that which is not adaptable to us, modify and innovate strategies deemed applicable); (e) establish Incident Command Centers with epidemiological mapping capabilities; (f) ensure that if information is centralized, simplified and compartmentalized; (g) solicit manpower inadequacies to partner agencies and private sector; (h) followed the ASF recovery and repopulation plan as endorsed by the Provincial ASF Technical Working Group; and, (i) reiterated to our co –workers the Civil Service Commission (CSC) reminder that “mag trabaho ng lampas sa takdang oras kung kinakailangan”(work outside work hours if needed). Such steps are important in order to achieve our goal to protect hog farmers’ investment and assure them of not circulating the virus within their environment.”
Dr. Comia also offered advice to other local government units on how to eradicate ASF in order to protect their respective swine businesses, and it is as follows: “(a) Efficient border/geographical control (includes airport, seaport, regional and provincial control areas); (b) adequate and efficient veterinary infrastructure; (c) sound policies that are operationally implementable emanating from the grassroots; (d) fast, accurate, and precise laboratory support; (e) practical preparedness plan/protocol; (f) applied epidemiological training for government veterinarians is a must; (g) Fair Indemnification policy that is within at least in the provincial control level; and, (h) availability and affordability of vaccines.” Other things to keep in mind on a farm level are: “(a) Trust your veterinarians. If you have none, hire one; (b) since it’s a transboundary animal disease, …the farmer, barangay, municipality, city, province, region should be formed as [a] one approach system; (c) [Don’t rely on a] constant strategy; evolve as the virus does; and, (d) share good and bad practices.” Furthermore, the city veterinarian also calls for diligence, cooperation, and concentrated effort in the prevention, containment, and eradication of ASF on a nationwide scale. “Vigilance in controlling and eventually eradicating ASF is of enormous importance since pork forms a big chunk of our daily protein source. The contribution of the pig industry to the GDP is a valuable indicator of our economic progress,” he says. “Try to listen and understand from identities who have already experienced, failed and overcome such onslaught. It will be worthwhile and cost effective not to repeat the failures of the past. No other profession can greatly contribute to ASF eradication than the veterinarians, to whom we salute and honor.”
