The Department of Agriculture (DA) in Western Visayas is calling on the support of stakeholders to help safeguard areas classified under the “green zones” in Iloilo to remain free from the African swine fever (ASF) following the disease outbreak in two municipalities of the province.

“Everything, all of this will come to pass. We really need to protect those ‘green zones’ to stop the spread of this disease,” said Dr. Jonic Natividad, chief of the DA Regulatory Division during the virtual special meeting of the Regional Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (RDRRMC) held on Wednesday.

With the declaration of San Miguel and Oton as “red” or infected zones by the provincial government, Iloilo province is left with 41 local government units classified either as “pink” or the buffer zone which is “demarcated immediately around the red zone,” “yellow” or surveillance zone situated adjacent the “pink zone” and considered as high risk, “light green” or protected zone considered as moderate risk areas, and “dark green” or free zone where risk is low.

Natividad said that in coordination with concerned local government units and local government units, measures have already been undertaken to include the aggressive implementation of the ASF protocols and guidelines, massive and simultaneous information and education campaign, intensified checkpoints and strengthened quarantine and border inspection in all affected and suspected areas and the implementation of the Bantay ASF sa Barangay (BaBay ASF).

In the same meeting, Dr. Sam Castro, head of the national ASF task force, said their priority now was to find out the extent of the infection.

He urged the support of everyone for the conduct of surveillance not just in areas with identified cases but also in places free from the disease.

Castro also cited the vital role of farmers in reporting concerns such as death or suspicious death, whether or not they are ASF cases for quick response.

“We need the help of everyone, not just LGUs, not just in areas we are already working on but surrounding municipalities,” he said.

Iloilo ranked seventh among the country’s top hog-producing provinces as of July 1, 2022, data from the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) showed.

It came second to Negros Occidental in terms of percentage distribution, contributing 29.46 percent to the total hog inventory of Western Visayas.

PSA data further showed that 83.07 percent of the hog inventory is raised in the backyard and 16.93 percent in commercial farms.

The movement of pigs and pork products in areas outside the “red zone” continues, Iloilo Governor Arthur Defensor Jr said in a media interview on Tuesday. (PNA)