Senators welcome declaration of state of calamity due to African swine fever

At least three senators on Tuesday welcomed Malacañang’s declaration of a state of calamity due to the African swine fever.

In an online interview with reporters, Senator Francis Pangilinan, who has repeatedly called for the declaration of state of calamity, welcomed Malacañang’s latest announcement despite the Executive Department's late decision.

“Huli man at magaling, ay maihahabol din. How we wish it was earlier, but we are still thankful kasi may basehan na ang gastusan ng national government ang suporta sa ating magbababoy,” he told reporters.

[This may be late but this will still help us. How we wish it was earlier, but we are still thankful because there is already a basis for the government to support our hog raisers.]

Pangilinan also recalled that the state of calamity should have been declared simultaneously with the adjustments on tariff rates on pork imports.

“I said this in the committee hearing na dapat sinabay, hindi nauna ‘tong importation at pagbababa ng taripa na papaburan ang consumer pero papaburan din ang importer…but having said that we are still thankful and we welcome the declaration,” he said.

[I said this in the committee hearing that this should have come at the same time and that the decision on the importation and lowering of tariffs which favor the consumers and importers should not have come first.]

Senator Bong Go likewise supported the declaration, saying the government can easily impose price ceiling on pork products.

He said this will also allow the government financial institutions to offer no-interest loans to hog raisers who are affected by the ASF outbreak.

“This is crucial because pwede na gamitin ng DA [Department of Agriculture] and LGUs [local government units] ‘yung Quick Response Fund to address the ASF outbreak,” he said.

Senator Joel Villanueva also tagged the declaration as a “big win” for the local hog producers.

“Now the real work begins. This is the declaration of war against ASF that pig farmers have long been waiting for. Recognizing that there is a calamity is one thing, ending it is another,” Villanueva said in a statement.

“Hopefully, this declaration will prompt the government to move as one, marshal all resources available, and work on a timetable that results in quick victory,” he added.

Villanueva urged the DA to come up with a plan on how they will address the eradication of ASD and the rehabilitation of local hog industry.

Pangilinan also said that the DA is expected to provide for the concerns of the hog raisers such as the quick release of indemnification funds, repopulation of hogs, among others.

“We expect na ang lahat ng mga batikos, obserbasyon, pakiusap, panawagan ng industriya ay matutugunan ng Department of Agriculture,” he said. 

[We expect that all the criticisms, observations, and calls of the industry will be addressed by the DA.]

On Tuesday, Malacañang released Presidential Proclamation 1143, which President Rodrigo Duterte issued Monday.

This proclamation places the entire country under state of calamity due to ASF.

Proclamation 1143 says that since it was first reported in the country in 2019, ASF has affected 12 regions and significantly reduced the country's swine population by around three million hogs, resulting in more than P100 billion in losses to the local hog sector and allied industries and increased retail prices of pork products. — BM, GMA News