NEGROS OCCIDENTAL, Philippines – The P3-billion game-fowl industry in Negros Occidental is being threatened by the restiveness of Kanlaon Volcano on Negros Island.
The upland areas of the cities of Bago and La Carlota are considered game fowl havens due to their cool environment conducive to breeding. Other game-fowl farms are located in the upland villages of Silay and Talisay.
Following Kanlaon’s eruption on December 9, clouds of ash drifted to various localities in Negros Occidental, including Bago and La Carlota, severely affecting game-fowl breeders.
Bago Mayor Nicholas Yulo told a news conference on Monday, December 16, that ash fall heavily affected four of the city’s 24 barangays: Ilijan, Mailum, Binubuhan, and Ma-ao, with game-fowl farms in upper Ilijan blanketed in ash. Similarly, La Carlota City, particularly Barangay Ara-al, was impacted.
Game fowl in these areas are priced at P5,000 to P30,000 each.
Provincial Veterinarian Placeda Lemana told Rappler on Tuesday, December 17, that the P3-billion game-fowl industry is the third-largest industry in the province, following sugar and poultry. However, the ongoing unrest of Kanlaon may jeopardize this industry.
Animal evacuations were conducted in localities within the extended six-kilometer permanent danger zone around Kanlaon starting on Saturday, December 14.
But unlike game-fowl breeders in La Carlota, those in Ilijan and Mailum have refused to comply with calls for forced animal evacuation. They abandoned their fighting cock farms, leaving only one caretaker per farm and requesting a “window visit” from 6 am to 4 pm daily.
If worse comes to worst, Lemana said, Bago’s game-fowl breeders would prefer to free their game fowls rather than relocate them to the lowlands. They believe the birds can survive the disaster due to their instincts and will return to their respective areas once the calamity is over.
Moving them to new locations, they asserted, would be disruptive to the birds.
In Barangay Ara-al, La Carlota, breeders have relocated their fighting cocks to a provincial government-run multiplier farm behind La Carlota City College in Barangay Cubay for safety.
Game fowls in Negros Occidental are known for their fierceness, whether in local, national, or international cock derby arenas. Many breeders in the province are wealthy hacienderos (sugar planters), seafarers, or businessmen who can afford to sustain fighting cock farms.
Meanwhile, Lemana said livestock owners in La Carlota have brought their animals to a Department of Agriculture (DA) farm in Barangay La Granja, while those in La Castellana have sought refuge for their livestock at the Colegio de Castellana oval and at Crossing Taborda in Barangay Robles.
The Office of the Provincial Veterinarian (OPV) has assigned workers to provide services in La Castellana, including animal medical consultations and the distribution of vitamins and supplements.
Some livestock owners are selling their animals, including cows, carabaos, and goats, at lower prices.
As for swine, Lemana explained that due to restrictions related to the anti-African Swine Fever (ASF) and hog cholera campaigns, raisers have opted to sell their pigs for commercial slaughter rather than bring them to evacuation centers.
Under observation
Yulo said the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) and Task Force Kanlaon (TFK) have advised local authorities to remain on alert, as Kanlaon is still under observation since December 10. At the end of this 21-day observation period, Phivolcs will decide whether to upgrade or downgrade the alert level.
For now, the situation remains volatile since Kanlaon continues to show activity that could lead to a dangerous eruption at any time, according to Phivolcs and TFK.
The Bago City government placed the entire city under a state of calamity on Monday, December 16. The move would allow the local government to utilize its P18-million quick response fund to assist evacuees at the four evacuation centers in the city.
Bago has logged 366 evacuees or about 123 families, mostly from Ilijan and Mailum as of posting time.
TFK head Raul Fernandez said there are now 16,761 evacuees from Bago, La Carlota, La Castellana, San Carlos City in Negros Occidental, and Canlaon City in Negros Oriental. The figure accounts for 97.46% of residents living within the extended six-kilometer danger zone who were required to evacuate.
TFK has declared the danger zone off-limits, and road closures and animal evacuations have been implemented in affected villages since Saturday. – Rappler.com