Nat’l state of emergency due to ASF outbreak sought
MANILA, Philippines — A Senate panel urged the Department of Agriculture (DA) to recommend to President Rodrigo Duterte the declaration of a national state of emergency due to the African swine fever (ASF) outbreak, which a senator said has already cost some P50 billion in swine industry loss.
The Senate agriculture committee, chaired by Senator Cynthia Villar, issued the call upon the motion of Senator Francis Pangilinan during Tuesday’s hearing on the alarming rise of food prices.
“We move that the Department of Agriculture (DA) recommend to the Office of the President the declaration of a state of emergency in Luzon because of the African swine [fever] so that public funds may be realigned to address the state of emergency,” Pangilinan said.
The motion was duly seconded by Senator Nancy Binay and supported by Villar.
The senators, on the suggestion of the National Federation of Hog Farmers, also agreed that a state of emergency should be declared in the entire Philippines and not only in Luzon.
Pangilinan said this executive action would provide additional funding and address the concerns of the hog industry.
“Ngayon ang computation 50 plus billion [pesos] na ang danyos sa industriya ng pagbababoy. Dapang-dapa na kaya dapat meron talagang ilalabas na funding and support because of the emergency,” the senator said.
“Precisely yung pandemic, kaya tayo nakapaglaan ng pondo sa pandemya dahil nga may declaration of a state of emergency,” he added.
Pangilinan recalled that a declaration of a state of emergency was issued by Malacañang during the onslaught of the “cocolisap” infestation in 2014, which he noted enabled the government to reallocate funds to address the outbreak that cost P33 billion in damages.
In response to Pangilinan’s motion, DA Undersecretary Ariel Cayanan said the department agrees with such a declaration.
“This public emergency declaration will now address yung karampot na pondong napakaliit na ilalaan na hindi pautang. Yun ang dapat,” Pangilinan also said.
The senator, a former Presidential Assistant for Food Security and Agricultural Modernization, said that import tariffs should be utilized to support the funding for the public emergency declaration.
Former Congressman Nicanor Briones of the Agricultural Sector Alliance of the Philippines (AGAP) suggested to include in the motion an indemnification fund for infected hogs of ASF.
“Napaka importante ng indemnification fund para po kusang mag-declare ng state of emergency ng swine fever at yun pong backyard raisers, sabay-sabay pong mag-aalaga, babalik iyan kasi mayroong guarantee na hindi sila maba-bankrupt in case na tamaan sila ng African swine fever,” Briones said.
Pangilinan then manifested that the indemnification fund be included in the public emergency declaration. Villar agreed with this suggestion.
