ASF-affected swine raisers receive indemnification
By Vanessa
P. Sanchez
TANDAG
CITY, Surigao del Sur, May 12 -- To help the swine raisers in Barangay Matho of
Cortes, Surigao del Sur, who have been affected by the African Swine Fever
(ASF) make a comeback, the Department of Agriculture (DA) – Caraga turned over
the indemnification fund to the Local Government of Cortes, on Tuesday, May 11.
The
cash assistance for the 61 households amounted to Php785,000.00 covering 157
pigs culled during the conduct of depopulation in November of last year.
Barangay Matho was the first area in the region with a reported case of ASF.
Cortes
Municipal Mayor Josie Bonifacio, who received the indemnification fund, thanked
the DA for keeping its commitment to provide the cash assistance to help the
affected swine raisers get back up from the setback.
“I
personally saw how they were affected when their pigs, which were their means
of livelihood, were taken away to be culled. But thankfully, because the
situation and the protocol were explained well to them, they cooperated,” Mayor
Bonifacio said.
On the
other hand, DA Carga Regional Technical Director Rebecca R. Atega, who led the
turn-over, said that aside from the cash assistance, the DA also initially gave
10 heads of chicken to every affected household and will be giving additional
20 heads more. She also said that the DA is still looking into giving more
support to help revive the livestock industry in the town.
After
the turn-over, Dr. Toni Rose Barroga of the Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI)
Central Office discussed briefly the swine repopulation guidelines. She
emphasized on following the procedures that include cleaning and disinfection,
downtime and bioassay, and placing of sentinel animals before the area can be
released from quarantine.
Cleaning
and disinfection are done within 30 days after depopulation. After cleaning and
disinfection, a downtime of 30 days shall be implemented to decrease the area’s
bacterial load and the risk of ASF virus residue.
The ASF
Composite Team which includes staff from the Bureau of Animal Industry -
Central Office and Mindanao Cluster (Regions 11,12 and 13) is in the region and
will be conducting site validation and similar briefing to areas affected by
ASF in the region. (DA 13 – RAFIS/PIA-Surigao del Sur)
PNP Caraga buy bust yields P11K worth of illegal drugs; pusher arrested
By PMaj.
Dorothy M. Tumulak
BUTUAN
CITY, May 12 -- The intensified campaign against illegal drugs of Police
Regional Office (PRO) 13 resulted in the confiscation of Php11,800.00 worth of
illegal drugs and arrested a pusher during a buy-bust operation in Butuan City
on Monday.
Police
Brigadier General Romeo M. Caramat, Jr., Regional Director of PRO13 identified
the accused as Juanito C. YbaΓ±ez, alias Amay YbaΓ±ez, 35 years old, resident of
Purok 3, Barangay Holy Redeemer, Butuan City.
The
region’s top cop disclosed that personnel of Butuan City Police Station 2 -
Drug Enforcement Unit together with City Intelligence Unit-City Drug
Enforcement Unit (CIU-CDEU) and in coordination with the Philippine Drug
Enforcement Agency (PDEA) conducted a buy-bust operation in Purok 3A-1 Barangay
Holy Redeemer around 7:40PM.
A
sachet of one gram of shabu, genuine cash money worth Php200, marked money
worth Php1,000, one bogus Php200 and Php1,000 bills and a cellular phone were
confiscated by the operating team during the operation.
“Arrested suspect is now in the custody of Butuan City Police Station 2 and will be facing charges for violation of Republic Act No. 9165 or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002," PBGen. Caramat, Jr. said. (PIO, PRO13/PIA Caraga)
