PRRD okays use of OP contingent fund vs. ASF

Nov 07, 2019

MANILA — President Rodrigo Duterte has approved the Department of Agriculture’s (DA) proposal to use the Office of the President’s remaining contingency fund to help prevent the spread of African Swine Fever (ASF) in the country.

Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo said Duterte approved of Agriculture Secretary William Dar’s proposal during the 43rd Cabinet meeting in Malacañang on Wednesday.

Panelo said the fund will be used to indemnify affected hog raisers and to designate cold storage areas in the Ports of Manila, Subic, Batangas, Cebu and Davao for 100 percent monitoring of meat products entry.

He, however, did not give an estimate of the amount of funds to be released.

Last September, Duterte approved the release of PHP78-million emergency fund for biosecurity and quarantine operations, disease monitoring and surveillance, upgrading of laboratories, capacity-building, and other disease control measures against ASF.

Meanwhile, the National ASF Task Force (NATF) was also created to flesh out inter-agency coordination, in partnership with concerned local government units (LGUs) and the private sector.

On Wednesday, ASF Task Force Head Reildrin Morales assured that ASF in the country is still “managed” and can eventually be eradicated.

The government’s latest report to the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) showed that there have been a total of 24 ASF outbreaks in the country and 555 actual ASF cases, with new cases found in Caloocan City and Malabon City.

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Video: Sweetener Effects on Gut Health - Dr. Kwangwook Kim

In this episode of The Swine Nutrition Blackbelt Podcast, Dr. Kwangwook Kim, Assistant Professor at Michigan State University, discusses the use of non-nutritive sweeteners in nursery pig diets. He explains how sucralose and neotame influence feed intake, gut health, metabolism, and the frequency of diarrhea compared to antibiotics. The conversation highlights mechanisms beyond palatability, including hormone signaling and nutrient transport. Listen now on all major platforms!

“Receptors responsible for sweet taste are present not only in the mouth but also along the intestinal tract.”

Meet the guest: Dr. Kwangwook Kim / kwangwook-kim is an Assistant Professor at Michigan State University, specializing in swine nutrition and feed additives under disease challenge models. He earned his M.S. and Ph.D. in Animal Sciences from the University of California, Davis, where he focused on intestinal health and metabolic responses in pigs. His research evaluates alternatives to antibiotics, targeting gut health and performance in nursery pigs.