ILOILO City – The African Swine Fever (ASF) infected area or red zone in Iloilo province has been extended from Oton town to the neighboring San Miguel town after four positive cases were logged in the latter.
Gov. Arthur Defensor Jr. on Tuesday issued Executive Order (EO) No. 460-A-2022 amending EO No. 460 and adjusting quarantine procedures and disease prevention and control measures against ASF.
Under the amended EO, which took effect immediately, Oton and San Miguel are deemed as Red Zones. Movement of live pigs, pork, pork products (fresh/frozen pork products and uncooked processed pork products, except cooked and canned processed pork products), and swine genetic materials in and out of these municipalities shall be prohibited.
“Para mas ma-contain naton, mapunggan naton ang paglapta sa bilog nga probinsya. But nonetheless, we will continue to execute based on protocols, maathag sa aton ang mga protocols, and quarantine procedures,” Defensor stressed.
Also part of the containment measure, the movement of live pigs and pork products from the quarantine area (an area up to one kilometer from the infected area (IP) to the outside quarantine area (an area outside the one kilometer radius from the IP) up to the administrative boundary of Oton is prohibited.
“We continue to execute sang aton mga protocols nga kon may naga-positive gani kita nga barangay, we lock it .5 km radius and depopulate. And then if that circle will go bigger, surveillance kita sa one-kilometer radius, then we execute,” said Defensor.
The infected area in San Miguel town is Barangay San Jose where, according to San Miguel mayor Marina Gorriceta, aside from the index case, other hogs in the area were also manifesting symptoms of the disease.
She added that more than 300 hogs from hog farms in Barangay San Jose are under surveillance.
One of the farms has 58 hog heads sourced from the index hog farm in Oton even before the ASF positive case broke out, the mayor noted.
Gorriceta also said more samples were taken from the containment area in Barangay San Jose for testing, and they are waiting for the results for possible depopulation.
TRADING OK OUTSIDE RED ZONE
Yesterday also, Governor Defensor met with all the mayors of Iloilo province, Municipal Agriculture Officers and the Department of Agriculture (DA) and laid down to them the movement of hogs and pork products based on the zoning.
The movement or trading of hogs in uninfected areas is allowed as long as it follows the zoning guidelines or protocols stated under DA-Administrative Circular 02-2022, which is also stipulated in the governor’s EO.
* Pink (Buffer) Zone – municipalities or cities where ASF is not detected but demarcated immediately around the Red Zone (Tigbauan, Pavia, Iloilo City, Leon, Alimodian, Cabatuan, and Santa Barbara)
* Yellow (Surveillance) Zone – municipalities or cities where ASF is not detected and adjacent with the PINK (Buffer) Zone; these areas are considered to be high risk (Guimbal, Igbaras, Tubungan, Leganes Maasin, Janiuay, New Lucena, and Zarraga)
* Light Green (Protected) Zone – municipalities or cities where ASF is not detected and are considered to be moderate risk areas adjacent to the Yellow Zone (Miag-ao, Mina, Pototan, Dumanas, Badiangan and Lambunao)
* Dark Green (Free) Zone – municipalities and cities where ASF is not detected and are considered of low risk (the rest of Iloilo towns)
The mayors were told to cascade the EO to hog industry stakeholders in their respective localities.
“Commerce will continue based on those guidelines,” Defensor said.
The governor also reiterated his advice to the public, especially to hog raisers, to not panic. He urged everyone to cooperate and help to contain the hog disease.
“Indi kita mag-panic. Ang himuon naton, engkwentruhon ta lang, buroligan naton. Pareho sang COVID-19, mangayo kita sang inyo nga pag-intindi, pasensya kag sakripisyu. Para nga kon mapunggan naton sang mas maaga sa gamay lang nga parti sang probinsya, mas maayo para sa aton tanan,” the governor said.
AID FOR AFFECTED HOG FARMERS
Affected hog farmers, per family, in the province will get an initial aid of P20,000, according to Defensor.
Defensor said P10, 000 will come from the fund of the provincial government while another P10, 000 will be sourced from the Department of Social Welfare and Development through its Assistance for Individuals in Crisis Situations (AICS) program.
Beneficiaries of the financial assistance will be based on the list of local government units on depopulated hog farms.
“But we will continue to develop the package kay may mga bulig kita nga halin sa private sector, gusto naton nga dugangan pa ang kon ano mabulig naton sa mga gin depopulate nga farms,” he added./PN
