Mt. Kanlaon Eruption Severely Impacts Poultry in Negros Occidental

NEGROS OCCIDENTAL — The recent eruption of Mt. Kanlaon on June 3 has significantly affected the livestock in Negros Occidental, with poultry experiencing the highest number of casualties.

According to Philippines News Agency, a total of 3,421 animals have been reported affected in the cities of Bago and La Carlota as of June 19, with 3,210 of these being poultry or chickens.

Dr. Ryan Janoya, PVO Officer-in-Charge and provincial veterinarian, stated in a Monday interview that the damage was primarily due to ashfall from the eruption. “The effects on animals were not evident until two weeks after the eruption, when respiratory problems and other diseases began to surface in areas covered by ashfall and affected by sulfurous odors,” he explained.

In addition to poultry, the livestock casualties included 72 swine, 16 cattle, 45 carabao, and 73 goats and sheep in Bago City. The PVO has estimated the total value of the animal losses at PHP374,200.

Efforts to assist the recovery of affected livestock are ongoing. “We continue to conduct medical missions in the affected areas, including in Barangay Cabagna-an and Biak na Bato in La Castellana town,” Janoya added. These missions involve the distribution of veterinary drugs and treatments, particularly in areas like the upper village of Cabagna-an, where cattle and carabao suffered burns from volcanic debris.

In the days following the eruption, the PVO also provided veterinary drugs to the municipal government of La Castellana and mobilized district veterinarians, livestock technicians, and para-veterinarians to offer technical assistance to the animal raisers impacted by the disaster.