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Waste from hotels, restos may have caused swine fever among hogs in Rizal —DA

Agriculture Secretary William Dar on Tuesday said waste from hotels and restaurants, which were collected and sold to backyard hog raisers, may have affected the health of several hogs that died in Rodriguez, Rizal last month.

This was after the Department of Agriculture (DA) confirmed that majority of samples from local hogs sent to the World Reference Laboratory in Pirbright, England were found to be positive of African swine fever (ASF).

In an interview on GMA News' Unang Balita, Dar said backyard hog raisers may have bought feeds sourced from a dumpsite in Rodriguez where waste from restaurants and hotels were reportedly disposed.

"Ang suspetsa namin, kasi itong mga waste galing hotels (at), restaurant, dina-dump 'yan dati sa Rodriguez, Rizal, kaya doon sa mga barangays ng Rodriguez, Rizal, ay sila ang unang naapektuhan," Dar said.

"May nagnenegosyo kasi na mga kanin baboy do'n sa dumpsite ay kinokolekta at nilalagay sa sako at tinitinda sa mga backyard hog raisers ng P15 kada-sako. So dito sa mga barangays po ng Rodriguez, Rizal ang natamaan," he added.

Asked to elaborate how ASF entered the country, Dar said the virus may have been carried in via infected meat products.

"Siguro, may mga nagdala ng mga delata o galing sa mga farms na doon sa mga apektadong mga bansa," he said.

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Nevertheless, the DA chief reiterated that it remains safe to eat pork but cautioned consumers to buy only meat with the stamp of approval from the National Meat Inspection Service.

Malacañang on Monday said pork was safe to eat despite the DA's confirmation that ASF caused the deaths of several pigs in areas near Metro Manila.

Presidential spokesperson Salvador Panelo said the DA would take all the necessary measures to ensure that the public was safe from ASF.

The DA is now vigorously enforcing the “1-7-10 Protocol” to control ASF from spreading in the country.

Under the protocol, quarantine checkpoints are set up in areas within a 1-kilometer radius of suspected farms—monitoring the movement of live pigs, pork, and pork products.

Within a 7-kilometer radius, authorities are conducting surveillance and limiting animal movement.

Farm owners within the 10-kilometer radius are mandated to report any disease to the DA. —Margaret Claire Layug/KG, GMA News