CANDON CITY, Ilocos Sur – This city is under a state of calamity due to an African Swine Fever (ASF) outbreak that has affected 22 out of 42 barangays as of Sunday, October 1.
The city council has approved Resolution Number 353-2023 imposing the declaration.
“The declaration of a state of calamity in the city will afford the city government of Candon to use an appropriate part of its Quick Response Fund to curb the spread of ASF and provide assistance to the affected hog raisers within the city,” Mayor Eric D. Singson said.
Singson on Sunday, October 1, signed Executive Order No. 60, Series of 2023, imposing a 15-day lockdown on the transport, hauling, slaughtering, and selling of pigs, pork, and pork by-products from October 2 to 17 to stop the spread of ASF.
“The ASF has an imminent threat to the local hog industry operating in the City of Candon, thus, greatly affecting the supply of live hogs, port meat, and pork-by-products even for local and daily consumption,” said Singson.
“ASF is a highly contagious and fatal disease affecting domestic and wild pigs caused by a resistant virus with no known cure up to now, despite having no effect on humans but causing major production and economic losses to the country,” he added.