TACLOBAN CITY – Hog raisers in Silago, Southern Leyte who chose to cull their pigs during the recent African Swine Fever attack received P4.9 million in indemnification from the Department of Agriculture.

The DA regional field office in Eastern Visayas said 116 hog raisers from the municipality received the financial compensation for culled hogs taken from the Disaster Risk Reduction and Management (DRRM) funds of the Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI).

Silago, which sits at the boundary of Leyte and Southern Leyte provinces, has been prone to ASF with three occurrences of ASF outbreaks in the las five year – in March 2021, December 2023 and September 2025.

Its last outbreak affected three barangays resulted to an industry loss of over P7 million.

The DA regional office said the P4.9 million indemnification for the most recent outbreak would enable affected raisers to gradually restore their livelihoods and resume swine production.

Dr. Michael Jerome Martal, Veterinarian II at the DA-BAI central office, explained to hog raisers during the indemnity distribution on August 4-5, 2026, the purpose of the government's ASF indemnification program.

“Indemnification is a financial compensation provided to farmers whose animals were depopulated or culled after being affected by the disease in order to prevent its spread to other areas, he said.

Meanwhile, Silago Mayor Lemuel Honor vowed continued support to the towns hog industry, which has remained thriving despite the ASF attacks.

The local chief executive urged farmers to coordinate closely with the Municipal Agriculture Office whenever they encounter challenges affecting their livestock operations.

Honor also encouraged local hog raisers to enroll their livestock through the Philippine Crop Insurance Corporation (PCIC) to help cushion the financial strain of unforeseen animal disease outbreaks.