African Swine Fever (ASF) affected hog raisers in Negros Occidental are not among the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) emergency cash transfer recipients.
That is because no ASF reports and requests for assistance were made by local government units in Negros Occidental, Frenz Ernan Orbista, DSWD 6 Disaster Response and Management Division social welfare officer III, said on Wednesday, October 25.
“We base the assistance on the reports from the LGUs,” Orbista said.
If they don’t declare that they were ASF hit no assistance can be given, he said.
So far Antique and Capiz hog raisers have been provided with assistance, he added.
Meanwhile, Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson said the Negros Occidental provincial government is “proceeding with caution” in reviving its multi-billion peso swine industry as hog deaths are still being reported in some areas.
There have been hog deaths reported in La Castellana town, which has not been affected by swine diseases before, he said.
“La Castellana was not affected for the longest time, which somehow can affect the recovery of the surrounding area like the cities of La Carlota and Bago,” he said.*