Cebu City eyes cash aid for ASF-affected hog farmers

Local

HOG raisers who lose their source of income to African swine fever (ASF) may soon receive financial and livelihood assistance from the Cebu City

Government to help them recover from losses caused by the outbreak.

The City Council earlier this week approved a resolution urging Mayor Nestor Archival to extend assistance to qualified hog raisers whose income-generating activities have been affected by ASF.

The resolution, sponsored by Councilor Dave Tumulak, proposes charging the assistance against the city’s share from the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. (PAGCOR), subject to the availability of funds and applicable government accounting, auditing, and PAGCOR rules.

The measure comes as the city intensifies containment efforts in areas affected by the disease, including the culling and burial of infected hogs.

As of Sept. 21, the city had buried 57 hogs in Barangay Toong after laboratory testing confirmed ASF infections.

Barangays Toong and Quiot have reported confirmed cases, while Buhisan and Pamutan have been placed under heightened monitoring because of their proximity to affected areas.

The outbreak has placed additional financial pressure on backyard hog raisers, particularly those who depend on pig raising as a primary source of household income.

Under the approved resolution, the proposed assistance may cover financial or livelihood recovery support for qualified raisers to help them cope with losses from disrupted hog-raising activities.

The council cited provisions of the PAGCOR Omnibus Guidelines allowing a host city’s share to fund self-sustainable livelihood projects, particularly those at the grassroots level that generate employment and income for vulnerable sectors. The guidelines also allow funding for projects intended to alleviate poverty.

The proposed city assistance would come on top of existing national government support for eligible hog raisers.

The Department of Agriculture’s indemnification program provides ₱4,000 for pigs aged 21 to 90 days, ₱8,000 for hogs weighing 25 to 70 kilograms, and ₱12,000 for sows, subject to national guidelines and eligibility requirements. The program generally covers registered animals.

City officials have also acknowledged that some affected raisers may not qualify for regular indemnification because their animals are unregistered.

Aside from financial assistance, the city has begun exploring alternative livelihood support. Some affected raisers have received poultry, while additional ready-to-lay chickens are being prepared with support from private partners.

The city continues to enforce movement controls and disease surveillance in ASF-affected areas, including monitoring within a 500-meter radius of confirmed cases.

The resolution does not set a specific amount for the proposed assistance.

It instead asks the mayor and concerned city offices to provide appropriate support, subject to funding availability and existing rules.(TGP)