INSPIRED! With Advices From World Organizations, Now P3 Billion Total Funds To Philippine Hog Raisers To Defeat That Dreadful Asian Swine Fever (ASF), With Zero Interest Up To P15 Million Individual Loans Offered

Philippines: With what do you defeat an enemy like the dreaded Asian Swine Fever (ASF) that at its worst eliminated 1.7 million pigs? With foreign advices and local advances, an abundance of allotments included. Ask for help; help yourself.
(swine image from eCompareMo, ecomparemo.com)

Advice: Christine Cudis says (25 Jan 2022, “PH Cites Int’l Partners’ Help In Dealing With ASF,” PNA.gov.ph):

As it seeks to completely eradicate African swine fever (ASF), the Department of Agriculture (DA) (via its) Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI) said mentorship from international groups helped strengthen their programs.

BAI Director Reildrin Morales said groups such as the World Organization for Animal Health, Food & Agriculture Organization, and agencies under the Canadian and Spanish governments (have been) helpful in (consultations) on how to effectively end ASF.

Lessons learned, the DA has launched Bantay ASF sa Barangay (BABay ASF) and the Integrated National Swine Production Initiatives for Recovery & Expansion (INSPIRE) Program, implemented by the National Livestock Program.

On 17 Jan, the French government committed to the DA assistance in securing a vaccine against the ASF.

In the meantime, Eireene Jairee Gomez says (07 Jan 2022, “PH Winning Against ASF, Says DA,” Manila Times, manilatimes.net):

The Department of Agriculture (DA) said the Philippines is on track towards eradicating the dreaded African Swine Fever (ASF)… In a virtual briefing, DA Assistant Secretary Noel Reyes reported that the ASF virus is (now only) present in remaining 43 barangays in 16 municipalities as of end-December.

Mr Reyes said, "Lumiliit na po (It is decreasing). We're winning the war against ASF. Tulong-tulong lang po iyan (It's all a matter of cooperation)."

In May last year, President Rodrigo Duterteissued Proclamation 1143, placing the country under the state of calamity for 1 year due to ASF, unless earlier lifted.  Pro1143 allows local government units (LGUs) to set aside part of their Local Risk Reduction & Management Fund (calamity fund) for ASF.

Additionally, through the Agricultural Credit Policy Council (ACPC), the DA has assigned P300 Million for lending to backyard and semi-commercial hog raisers in “green zones” (ASF-free areas).

ANN says in total, the DA has allotted P3 Billion to revive the swine industry, with P1.2 Billion for BABay ASF, and P872 Million for INSPIRE (Author Not Named, 21 Sept 2021, “DA-ACPC Increases Loan Fund For Hog Raisers To P800M, Upping Swine Recovery Efforts To P3B,” DA.gov.ph). INSPIRE is a 3-year repopulation program. From 2021 to 2023, the DA targets to produce 440,563 breeders and 10.5 Million finishers.

ACPC Director Jocelyn Badiola says eligible borrowers include individual, start-up, and semi-commercial swine raisers (SCSR), small enterprises, and farmers’ cooperatives and associations (FCAs). An individual can borrow up to P 300,000, start-up P1 M, SCSR P3 M, and small enterprises and FCAs P15 M. The loans have zero interest, and are payable up to 5 years.

All in all, for the pork that I love, the DA has me INSPIRED!@517