A total of 295 swine raisers Kalinga, Benguet, and Ifugao got a share of the P8,225,000 indemnification assistance from the Department of Agriculture-Cordillera due to African swine fever.
In Kalinga, 100 affected hog raisers shared the P1,455,000 financial assistance distributed on April 21 and 22 while 27 farmers in Benguet were given P810,000 on May 4.
Also, 168 farmers in Ifugao received P5,960,000 assistance on May 11 and 12.
As of May 6, Kalinga registered the highest swine mortalities with 13,339 which were broken down to 12,892 swine mortalities and 447 pigs that were culled with 831 farmers affected by ASF.
Ifugao reported 5,514 swine were affected of which 703 died and 4,811 were culled, affecting 658 farmers.
Mountain Province reported 3,129 were affected of which 3,094 pigs died and 35 were culled, affecting 533 farmers.
Benguet registered 2,425 swines affected of which 348 were deaths while 2,077 pigs were culled with 123 affected farmers.
Apayao listed 774 swines affected of which 654 died and 120 were culled and affected 258 farmers.
Abra registered one swine mortality affecting one farmer based on DA-Cordillera data.
President Rodrigo Duterte recently placed the entire Philippines under a state of calamity for a period of one year due to the ASF outbreak.
In his Proclamation 1143 signed on May 10, Duterte said the declaration of state of calamity would allow the national government and local government units to use appropriate funds, including the quick response fund, in their response efforts to contain the spread of ASF and restore normalcy in ASF-hit areas.
The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council recommended the declaration as the ASF has already spread to 12 regions; 46 provinces; 493 cities and municipalities; and 2,561 villages since it hit the country in 2019. – Ofelia C. Empian
