PH DA Solving The National Swine Disease Problem By ALGURITHM ASF?

First, some perspective on the African Swine Fever, ASF, plaguing the backyard hog raising industry in the Philippines today. PH Secretary of Agriculture William Dar/Manong Willie spoke of it as guest speaker on the first day of the 2nd International Farmers Summit 2020 held at the SMX Convention Center in Pasay City 12-14 February 2020. 

The summit actually featured the poultry and livestock industries. The leaders Manong Willie mentioned in his talk were, for the hog industry: Rosendo So, Chester Tan, Edwin Chen, Eugenio Mende; and for the poultry sector: Bong Inciong and Georgie San Diego.

Manong Willie assumed office on 05 August 2019. Now, he told his audience what he had been asking himself (with a little editing):

Bakit po, Diyos, nung nagsimula ako noong Agusto 5 ay ang daming bumagsak dito sa Pilipinas na problema sa sector ng agrikultura? Sana tulungan po ninyo itong bansang minamahal namin, para maka-move forward na rin kami at talagang ipu-push po namin ang pagyaman na ng farmers at fishers namin.

(Why God, when I started on August 5, many problems descended on the Philippines in the agriculture sector? Please help this country we love so that we can then move forward and really push for the prosperity of our farmers and fishers.)

To appreciate the pain, let us have some data about the ASF. Pig Progress reported about the Philippines:

According to OIE data… almost 187,500 pigs (have) died as a consequence of ASF, either by the virus or by necessary cullings.

Multiply that number by P5,000, the fixed amount the Department of Agriculture, DA, pays hog raisers for every pig affected or depopulated, and the total loss is already a staggering P937 Million, almost P1 Billion.

Lord, have mercy on us!

For hope, browsing the full speech of Manong Willie, more than 2,600 words, as transcribed by Kuhlin Ceslie Gacula, I see what I refer to in my title as:

ALGURITHM ASF – Assistance of Local Government Units in Responding Intelligently to the Transferable Health Menace called African Swine Fever.

I mean, Manong Willie was all the while pleading with the government leaders of LGUs to assist the DA in fighting the ASF as a common enemy – because it is. He saw the crucial help of the LGUs initially in containing and eventually controlling the disease, for the good of all.

Manong Willie said:

Hindi tayo susuko sa mga problema na dumating na dapat nating bigyan ng focus and attention para sa ganun ay they will not (inaudible) up into the very productivity levels that we have to have, para ma-ensure naman ang food security sa ating bansa.

(We are not going to surrender to the problem that has arrived that we have to give focus and pay attention to, so that we can maintain our productivity levels that we have to have, to ensure food security for our country.)

All things considered, the ASF is notsimply a test of the leadership of the Secretary of Agriculture – it is a test of the resilience of the Filipino.@517