00:00The Department of Agriculture, or DA, increased the indemnity for every pig that needs to be killed
00:08because it is affected by African Swine Fever.
00:12And even if there is an outbreak in some provinces,
00:14the DA insisted that the State of National Calamity should not be declared.
00:20This is Bernadette Reyes.
00:25There is a vaccine against African Swine Fever in the country.
00:29It was imported by a Vietnamese company, but it was already expired.
00:34The Department of Agriculture is worried that it might be used against ASF.
00:39Yesterday, the State of Calamity declared Batangas because of ASF.
00:43They said there was a vaccine left last year,
00:47I think 150,000 doses,
00:52that it was extended and it can be used.
00:59We are objecting to the use because it should be changed.
01:03And there is no assurance that it will have an effect.
01:08But the Department of Agriculture assured that the Philippines will not buy the expired ASF vaccine.
01:15The government will not buy expired vaccine.
01:19The government will not accept any expired vaccine.
01:23If it is expired, it means the efficacy of the vaccine will be in question.
01:28Of the 600,000 doses that will be bought,
01:3110,000 are expected to arrive this week,
01:34which was bought through emergency procurement.
01:37It will be used for emergency inoculation or vaccination in affected areas
01:42to reduce the effect of the re-increase of ASF cases.
01:46The new vaccine is expected to have a two-year validity.
01:50According to the Department of Agriculture,
01:52aside from Batangas, they are also targeting
01:54and the Bureau of Animal Industry,
01:56North Cotabato and Occidental Mindoro,
01:59where the cases of African Swine Fever are high.
02:02Indemnity or payment has been increased to farmers
02:05for each pig that needs to be killed because it is infected.
02:10The payment is P4,000 for each pig,
02:13P8,000 for medium-sized,
02:15and P12,000 for large-sized.
02:18This will definitely help to control the spread of infected animals.
02:25Because normally, that is the main reason why ASF spreads quickly.
02:30If they give up the infected pig, the spread will be stopped.
02:38According to Agriculture Secretary Francisco Churaurel Jr.,
02:42the State of National Calamity in the country does not need to declare
02:46to fight the ASF.
02:48The Secretary assured that there will be no problem with the supply of pigs
02:52and that the price will not be cut.
02:54I did not see any shortage.
02:58The lockdown is farm-based.
02:59Not the whole municipality or the whole province.
03:04So there will still be movement.
03:06For GMA Integrated News,
03:09Buenos Dias, Reyes.
03:10Ready, 24 hours.
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