Eastern Mindanao supports gov’t effort to prevent entry of African Swine Fever

September 24, 2019

The military's Eastern Mindanao Command supports the government's effort to prevent the entry of African Swine Fever (ASF).

“Lt. General Felimon T. Santos Jr., Commander of Eastern Mindanao Command offers existing security checkpoints to expand into quarantine checkpoints, as part of the measure of preventing the entry of African Swine Fever (ASF) in Eastern Mindanao,” said Lt. Col. Ezra Balagtey, Eastmincom spokesman Tuesday.

"Our fixed security checkpoints can be used as a point of convergence in carrying out the best interest of the government and of the communities, hence, can accommodate other capabilities and be expanded or converted to a "whole of government" platform like that of quarantine checkpoint," Santos said.

Balagtey said “the offer came after Regional Director Ricardo Oñate of the Department of Agriculture (DA) Region XI, with the members of the Surveillance Team from Meat Inspection Service (MIS), Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI), and some hog raisers in Davao Region visited the Headquarters Eastern Mindanao Command, Naval Station Felix Apolinario, Panacan, Davao City on September 23,”

“Their visit aims to seek the assistance of the military in the biological battle of preventing zoonotic and infectious diseases to enter the region, which might affect the animal industry and the economy as a whole,” he said.

“As of this date, the checkpoints of Task Force Davao under Col. Consolito Yecla have been expanded into quarantine checkpoints after the City Government of Davao, through the City Veterinary and Agriculture Office (CVAO) deployed quarantine personnel,” he added.

Balagtey said quarantine personnel will be assisted by 65 personnel of Task Force Davao who are oriented  in animal and meat quarantine.

He said Santos also “recommended that the issue be levelled to different levels of Peace and Order Councils to encourage the participation of different law enforcement agencies and the crafting of local and regional plans, to include biosecurity protocols.”

"Taking off from the initiative of Davao City and Task Force Davao checkpoints as a template, we are asking the concerned agencies to level the issue to the different POCs to consolidate and synchronized effort in this biological battle," Santos said. Robina Asido/DMS