The government has spent P900 million to pay for the pigs culled in areas affected by the African Swine Flu (ASF).
Chief Presidential Legal Counsel Salvador Panelo, concurrent presidential spokesman, said elevated quarantine measures are being implemented by the Department of Agriculture which has initially banned the sale of live hogs and pork products from suspected ASF-infected areas.
ASF has affected hogs in Davao region.
It has also been monitoring Barangays Bito, Kidalapong, Tubalan, Felis, Mana, Talogoy and New Argao in Malita town in Davao following reports of ASF cases.
ASF has affected several hogs in Bulacan, Cavite, Nueva Ecija, Pampanga, Pangasinan, Quezon City, and Rizal last year resulting in measures aimed at managing, containing, controlling and preventing the transmission of ASF in other parts of the country.
About 200,000 hogs have so far been culled. Hog raisers are indemnified P5,000 per culled pig.
Government had been providing assistance, alternative livelihood, and skills training to hog raisers who were affected by the ASF spread.
Panelo said apart from the ASF, President Duterte approve during the Cabinet a proposal for government agencies to patronize food and non-food coconut products in the conduct of some events to support the coconut farmers.
He said an executive order directing the use of the coconut products will be crafted soon.
He said the use of the coconut products aims to assist coconut farmers amid the plummeting copra prices in the country.
Panelo said the Cabinet also talked of the county’s compliance with the law mandating the inclusion of coco methyl ester (CME) content in biodiesel products in the country.
