House Deputy speaker Bernadette Herrera claims that communal hog raising could be one of the solutions to stop the spread of the highly contagious and deadly African swine fever (ASF).

“ASF has spread to pigs because of the lack of safety protocols implemented. That is why we need to shift from backyard hog raising to communal with better measures against ASF and other livestock diseases, ”said Herrera.

“Pork prices would not have risen if the Department of Agriculture had caught swine flu in 2019 when swine flu had only spread to two provinces.” she added

ASF is a disease that affects only the members of the pig family. It doesn’t affect humans, and yet they are all very careful when it comes to their livestock.

“When the residents of a barangay in selected areas raise pigs together, they can afford the expenses against ASF, food safety, and minimum health protocols,” Herrera said.