DUMAGUETE CITY – The Department of Agriculture (DA) has begun accepting indemnification applications from hog raisers in Negros Oriental whose pigs were culled due to African swine fever (ASF). The financial assistance aims to help farmers recover from the mandatory depopulation that containment protocols require.
Financial Relief for Culled Pigs
DA-Provincial Agriculture Technology Coordinating Office head Bernard Limbaga confirmed that both registered and unregistered backyard hog raisers can apply. Compensation generally covers adult pigs such as boars and sows that were culled during government-led operations. Suckling piglets, however, may not qualify under the current program guidelines.
The amount of indemnification depends on the type of hogs depopulated. Farmers who lost breeding stock face the heaviest economic blow, as these animals represent both immediate income and future production capacity. The DA urged all eligible raisers to submit their documentary requirements through their municipal agriculture offices as soon as possible.
Provincial Veterinarian Dr. Melody Vilan encouraged farmers in ASF-affected areas, including Tanjay City, Amlan, Siaton, and Bayawan City, to apply. She noted that while the Philippine Crop Insurance Corporation (PCIC) is currently running low on funds, some claims may not be released until early next year. Registering animals with PCIC, she added, remains crucial for accessing compensation in future outbreaks.
Outbreaks Across the Province
In Bayawan City, ASF struck the local government-run Livestock Breeding Center after 14 of 35 blood samples tested positive. City Veterinarian Dr. Saturnino Dayanan Jr. said laboratory results from the Bureau of Animal Industry arrived late Monday, and culling operations are set to begin immediately with around 60 pigs scheduled for depopulation.
Biosecurity measures have been tightened at the facility to prevent the virus from spreading to surrounding barangays. No cases have been detected outside the breeding center, but authorities remain on high alert given the disease's rapid transmission through contact and contaminated equipment.
In La Libertad town, only one backyard raiser has so far applied for indemnification. The farmer from Sitio Pisok, Barangay Pisong, lost eight pigs to culling after one tested positive for ASF. Four other pigs that also tested positive had already died before laboratory confirmation, making them ineligible for compensation under national guidelines. No new cases have been recorded in the municipality.
Why Indemnification Matters
African swine fever poses no threat to human health but carries a near-total mortality rate among pigs. Government protocols require depopulating all animals within an outbreak zone, even healthy-looking ones, to stop the virus from spreading to neighboring farms. Without financial assistance, affected families face devastating losses that can push them out of the industry entirely.
The indemnification program also serves as a disease-control incentive. When farmers know they will receive compensation, they are more likely to report suspected cases immediately rather than hide sick animals or sell them secretly. Quick reporting allows veterinary authorities to contain outbreaks before they devastate entire regions, protecting the broader hog industry and stabilizing pork supply chains.
