Bohol needs enabling law,

‘ASF disinfection’ funds

PANGLAO, Bohol, Feb 27 (PIA) – Before Bohol runs out of funds in the purchase of disinfectants and sustain its first line of defense against the African Swine Fever (ASF), Boholanos await for an enabling ordinance or at least a supplemental budget for its continued operations to keep Bohol’s largely backyard hog industry insulated from the swine disease.

Provincial Veterinarian Dr. Stella Marie Lapiz, who is leading Bohol’s fight against the virus that may be harmless to humans but deadly to hogs, presented these options before the online Consultative Conference of industry stakeholders last week.

Ravaging Luzon and is slowly snorting its way across Mindanao and hitting Leyte in the Visayas, ASF is already a couple of hours away from Bohol and a single case of the disease crossing Bohol could potentially decimate the 50,000 tons industry where most backyard growers rely to survive.

To keep Bohol protected against the scourge especially while another pandemic is threatening, Bohol ASF Executive Council put up a disinfection team in line with a local executive order to make sure people and vehicles that come to Bohol, especially from Leyte, are totally disinfected.

ASF can be transmitted through direct contact, and a person who has handled meat, brought in processed or cooked pork and its by-products can carry the virus, explains Dr. Lapiz during the conference.

Bohol has also banned the entry of hog transport container vans from entering while Bohol based vehicles getting in, or vehicles not necessarily carrying pork but may have travelled through areas affected by the disease and may have been contaminated by the virus, are made to undergo disinfection.

“It would be pointless to disinfect when the vehicles still have traces of dirt where the disinfectants can not penetrate, so we have to wash the vehicles first,” said Efren Cagande, a province-paid casual worker who is among the four employees assigned to systematically wash each car, motorcycle or transport vehicle from Leyte.

Under the searing heat of the mid day sun, the team comprised of Cagande, Eduardo Valleser Jr., Norberto Malinao and Timoteo Curayag, along with a corresponding team from the private sector Marcela Farms comprised of Jorge Jao, Marvin Cuyag, Dionisio Tolomia and Richie Boy Rosales have to unroll 200 meters of high pressure hoses from their makeshift disinfection station in the port of Ubay to the arriving ship, board it and disinfect the ship and its rolling cargo before it can roll into the port.

At the port, entering vehicles line up for the mandatory carwash and thorough disinfection by the team, all of these for free, if only to make sure not a virus can get past them to Bohol.

Day in and day out, the team, clad in personnel protective equipment, face shields and rubber boots and gloves, spray pressurized water and disinfectant to every vehicle before they can be allowed to roll outside the port area.

The water and disinfectants however have to be bought, brought in and applied by a team of people who know what they are doing.

It’s a huge cost and sacrifice but we have to do this to safeguard Bohol, adds Jao, who also fills up a disinfection form as port pass to all vehicles.

In the consultative conference, Dr. Lapiz however said there is still some funds they can use in the meantime, but such may not last long if the operation has to sustain.

On this, a legislative action like an ordinance that exacts payments for the carwash and disinfection may not be that hard, if protecting Bohol’s hog industry and its 30,000 backyard growers are at stake. (rahchiu/PIA-7/Bohol)

COSTLY DISINFECTION. Even cargo boats from Cebu are not spared from the disinfection which is done to make sure that the virus that causes the ASF could not contaminate Bohol and kills its multi billion peso industry. The disinfection is still free, pending an enabling ordinance that would allow the legal exaction of fees for the service. (rahchiu/PIA-7/Bohol)

GETTING WASHED. Vehicles, even if they are Bohol based but embarked on the boats to pick up their container trailers have to be thoroughly washed, so the disinfectants against ASF can penetrate and assure that no viruses can survive the chemical spray enough to cause trouble when going through Bohol highways. (rahchiu/PIA-7/Bohol)