Eighty-eight hog raisers from the 21 ASF-affected barangays of Candon City, Ilocos Sur received an indemnification fund from the Department of Agriculture-Regional Field Office I amounting to P3.145 million in a ceremonial distribution today held at the Calaoa-an Covered Court, Candon City, Ilocos Sur.

Four individual raisers whose hogs were culled during the culling operation when the African Swine Fever (ASF) struck Candon City in the last quarter of CY 2023 affecting almost all of the barangays in Candon were among the recipients who received as much as P95,000 indemnification from their culled hogs.

Based on the DA’s list of recipients identified by the LGU and DA-RFO I ASF task Force, a total of 324 hog raisers were affected by ASF. Divided into two batches, recipients from batch 1 only received today the indemnification fund while the other batch will be receiving their cash assistance upon verification and review of their submitted documents.

Priced at P5,000 per head for every head of hogs culled during the culling operation with a maximum of 20 heads per raiser, the pay-out for indemnification is DA’s response to the ASF-affected raisers to help them recover from their income losses.

Aside from Candon City, the hog raisers from the towns of Banayoyo, Lidlidda, Gregorio del Pilar, Bantay, Santa San Emilio, Galimuyod and Burgos received the same cash assistance from DA.

Leading the distribution of the indemnification fund is no less than Dr. Annie Q. Bares, DA-RFO I Regional Executive Director and Regulatory Division Chief, Dr. Alfiero Banaag, together with the Provincial and City Veterinary Officers, Dr. Donna Mae Rosario and Dr. Clara Lay-yag.