Bohol steps up campaign vs illegal drugs

By Elvira C. Bongosia

TAGBILARAN CITY, Bohol (PIA) – The fight against illegal drugs in Bohol has been intensified as all motor vehicles entering the province through seaports will undergo the mandatory inspections starting Jan. 20.

This is mandated under Executive Order No. 31, series of 2023, signed by Gov. Erico Aristotle Aumentado, which aims to prevent the entry of illegal drugs and strengthen peace and order in the province.

The mandatory inspection is expected to combat the proliferation of drug smuggling through vehicles transported on roll-on-roll-off (RORO) vessels.

The inspections will be conducted by the Canine Unit of the Office of the Governor, which was established in February 2023 to address drugs, terrorism, and other threats.

Trained handlers and K9 dogs will be deployed to seaports to ensure compliance and support public safety in the province.

The announcement from the provincial government came after the recent success of the Bohol Police Provincial Office (BPPO), which confiscated over P15 million worth of suspected shabu in two separate buy-bust operations.

On Jan. 10, the drug operation in Barangay Dao in Dauis town resulted in the recovery of over two kilograms of suspected shabu valued at P13.7 million.

Three days later, authorities confiscated illegal drugs weighing 1,050 grams worth P1.8 million in a buy-bust operation at Purok 2, Barangay Bool in Tagbilaran City.

In a Facebook post, Aumentado lauded BPPO provincial director Arnel Banzon and his team for their dedication to the province’s anti-drug efforts.

“Kini nga operasyon, uban sa daghan pa nilang kalampusan, nagpamatuod nga seryoso ang atong Pangagamhanan sa paglimpyo sa komunidad batok sa impluwensya sa ilegal nga droga,” said Aumentado.

(This operation, along with their many other successes, proves that our Government is serious about cleaning the community against the influence of illegal drugs.)

The governor called on the public to cooperate with this initiative to help secure a safe and drug-free environment for all Boholanos.

“Padayon ta nga magtinabangay alang sa maayong kawsa. Ang kalamposan nagagikan sa hiniusang pagpaningkamot ug suporta sa tanan,” he said.

(Let’s keep working together for a good cause. Success comes from the joint efforts and support of all.) (ECB/PIA7-Bohol)

The Provincial Government of Bohol requests the full cooperation of the public in the implementation of the inspection of vehicles entering the ports of the province starting January 20, 2025 in order to cleanse the community against the influence of illegal drugs. (PIA/PiMO)

ASF now in 10

bgys, 6 towns

TAGBILARAN CITY, Bohol Jan 11 (PIA) –African Swine Fever (ASF), the hog disease that is fatal to pigs which has been infected of the virus, has now reached Purok 4 of Manuel Roxas, in Trinidad.

This brings the highly contagious swine disease to ten barangays in six towns, as of January 11.

And if Boholanos continue to disregard safety measures against the spread of the disease, there might not be pigs left for the fiesta months of May.

A disease with a potential to wipe out entire populations of hogs in Bohol, ASF only came to Bohol after several years when the disease has hit pig farms in Luzon in 2019.

As an island and physically separated from islands with reported infection of the disease, Bohol immediately set up measures to inform incoming guests and homecoming Boholanos to surrender raw pork or cooked and processed products upon arrival at the airport or port, or be fined and administratively sued.

Bohol also hired veterinary quarantine inspectors and sniffing dogs to screen baggage and cargo coming in, to make sure that no contaminated meat can get it.

However, the porous boundaries also makes Bohol vulnerable to incursion of smuggled meat and processed pork from nearby red or infected areas.

While there have been ASF incursions in the past, the two recorded cases in San Vicente Pilar and Mayacabac in Dauis, all ended up contained and did not spread to other areas.

Last November 21 however, animal health authorities confirmed the incursion of the disease in San Vicente San Miguel, where, to date, 314 swine heads owned by 144 families have to be culled to curb the spread of the disease.

A week later, similar reports of massive deaths of swine in backyard farms in Batuan surfaced.

Poblacion Sur officials with veterinary authorities have to cull 84 swine heads from 15 households and buried these along with unconsumed feeds, to stop the spread of the disease.

At nearly the same time, animal farmers in Poblacion Norte of the same town reported deaths of pigs that 264 swine heads from 56 families have to be culled.

When authorities thought San Vicente San Miguel could be cleared, the disease was reported to have slipped to nearby Bayongan and then to Los Angeles Ubay.

Here in Bayongan, authorities depopulated 310 swine heads of 145 households, while in Ubay, 75 hog heads have to be destroyed from 19 households.

From Los Angeles, the disease also crawled out to San Francisco where 51 heads form 21 households were killed.

And then the disease was also spotted in Carmen in Nueva Vida Norte, where 24 heads from 4 households have to be culled.

And then, in in Buenos Aires where pigs also died, 35 pigs have to be killed and buried, 7 households possibly losing potential for profits.

This week, the disease was also reported in Trinidad.

With this, based on Department of Agriculture Memorandum Circular No 10, series of 2019 and Administrative Order No. 22, series of 2020, deputy governor Tita Baja has issued quarantine control in Trinidad, banning live and meat from entering or leaving Manuel Roxas, and mandating testing in areas outside the 100 meters from the index case. (RAHC/PIABohol)