KALIBO, Aklan – Six towns in this province are still marked as red zones for African Swine Fever (ASF) in the latest zoning status of the Department of Agriculture (DA).
The municipalities of Lezo, Ibajay, Libacao, Kalibo, Tangalan, and Altavas were categorized as red zones due to confirmed cases of ASF.
The DA-Bureau of Animal Industry also identified the towns of Batan, Banga, Malay, Nabas, Balete, Makato, Malinao, New Washington, Numancia, and Madalag under pink zones (buffer zone) or areas adjacent to infected zone.
As of October 4, 2024, the municipality of Buruanga remained under yellow zone (surveillance zone) or a high-risk area with dense population of swine and volume of trade of pigs, pork and pork products.
Meanwhile, two towns in the province of Antique – Belison and Hamtic – remain in the red zones, while nine towns in Capiz – Panit-an, Pontevedra, Ivisan, Dumalag, Sapian, Tapaz, Sigma, Pilar, and Panay – and Roxas City are also under red zones based on the National Zoning and Movement Plan for ASF.
ASF is a highly contagious hemorrhagic viral disease of domestic pigs with case-fatality rate approaching 100 percent. It has caused serious economic and production losses and affected more than 20 million pigs in Asia since 2018./PN
