ILOILO CITY – Nine municipalities in the province of Iloilo have recorded cases of African Swine Fever (ASF).
The Iloilo Provincial Veterinary Office confirmed that hogs in the towns of Barotac Nuevo and Dumangas have been infected with ASF.
As a result, Iloilo Gov. Arthur Defensor Jr. has extended the red zone area to the two towns in an executive order released on Saturday, Dec. 24.
In Executive Order 460-F, the provincial government extended the ban on the transportation and trading of live hogs, pork, or pork-based products in and out of Barotac Nuevo and Dumangas.
Dr. Darel Tabuada, chief provincial veterinarian, disclosed that live hogs from Barotac Nuevo initially tested positive for ASF. Additional testing also revealed that live hogs from neighboring Dumagas were also infected.
The first ASF case in Iloilo was recorded in Oton town.
ASF then spread to the towns of San Miguel, New Lucena, Santa Barbara, Leganes, Alimodian, and Mina.
The provincial government has held a pork festival to counter the impact of ASF.
To ease the impact of ASF, pork products such as ‘’lechon’’ (roast pig) were sold to the public in a festive style.