Limasawa: At least 16 hog raisers from the island town of Limasawa in Southern Leyte have received indemnification checks from the Department of Agriculture (DA) after the African swine fever (ASF) outbreak affected their livelihood.

According to Philippines News Agency, the beneficiaries were granted a total of PHP1.104 million in compensation from the DA's quick response fund for losses incurred during the mandatory depopulation of swine following the ASF outbreak in January this year.

Limasawa Mayor Melchor Petracorta acknowledged the DA for the assistance extended to local farmers. "The support would help them rebuild their livelihoods and contribute to the municipality's goal of ensuring food security," Petracorta said in a phone interview on Monday.

Among the beneficiaries was Michelle Tabamo from Magallanes village, who said the financial aid would help her restart hog raising after six of her pigs were culled due to ASF. "I'm glad that I can begin hog raising once more, as I now have the capital needed to support our livelihood," she said.

Another recipient, Christian Cabajes, expressed gratitude for the assistance, which would help him recover from losses after the outbreak affected the hog-raising venture he started upon returning from overseas work. "I am thankful to the DA and the local government unit for helping us restore our livelihood. We were able to recover our money and hard work," he said.

Al Obinguar, DA-ASF indemnification focal person, urged beneficiaries to use the funds to rebuild their livelihoods and underscored the importance of strict biosecurity measures to prevent future outbreaks and protect swine production in the municipality.