The Department of Agriculture (DA) has formally implemented its zoning plan for African swine fever (ASF) to more efficiently and effectively control and contain the spread of the fatal hog disease.
The DA issued Administrative Circular 12 dated December 10, that formally ordered the establishment of zones across the country depending on the level of risks of regions in relation to ASF.
The zoning plan is being eyed by the DA as one of the key measures to more effectively eradicate the ASF in the country that has struck mostly backyard farms in Luzon.
The DA noted that its progressive zoning approach “was instrumental in the successful eradication of foot-and-mouth disease in the Philippines through intensified surveillance and animal movement management.”
“The concept of zoning and compartmentalization of the different administration regions in the country based on their common disease status, to protect unaffected area while controlling disease in infected regions, and progressive elevation of infected status to protected, and eventually to free zones, while building-up measure to prevent re-infection,” Agriculture Secretary William D. Dar said in the order that was made public on Tuesday.
“The national zoning and movement plan for African swine fever will guide movement protocols intended to control the spread of the virus,” Dar added.
In the order, Dar pointed out that zoning is one of the internationally recognized strategies recommended by the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) to prevent the spread of any animal disease, such as ASF.
Furthermore, he added that the zoning plan was agreed in principle by the interagency National ASF Task Force in its first meeting and was also approved by the Cabinet on its 43rd meeting.
“The zones are defined and classified based on geographical limits established by the veterinary authorities upon identification of the infected zone and the quarantine zone,” the order read.
“Zone classification status will be reviewed regularly depending on the epidemiological changes of the disease,” the order added.
The implementation of a nationwide zoning plan is seen by the government as a way to not to disrupt trade among provinces, particularly among ASF-free areas. This is to address the series of bans being imposed by provincial governments on the trade and entry of hogs, and pork-related products within their jurisdictions.
Under the zoning plan, provinces and regions would be classified based on their ASF status, which entail corresponding guidelines on the extent that they can transport and sale hogs, pork and pork products.
The country’s provinces, or regions, would be classified under two general zones: containment zone and free zones.
The containment zone is further categorized into four zones depending on the area’s ASF status: red (infected zone), yellow (surveillance zone), pink (buffer zone), and light green (protected zone).
Infected zones are areas with confirmed cases of ASF, which include areas of Mapandan and Bayambang in Pangasinan; Nueva Ecija (Cabanatuan City, Palayan City, Quezon, San Isidro, Santa Rosa, Zaragoza, Cabiao and Gapan City); Cavite (Dasmariñas City, Imus City, General Trias and Bacoor); and Rizal (Rodriguez, Antipolo City, San Mateo and Taytay).
The yellow zone are provinces that are high-risk areas because of dense population of swine and volume of trade of pig and pork products, according to the order.
The identified yellow zones in the country are the provinces in Regions 3 and 4A, except Bulacan, Pampanga, Nueva Ecija, Rizal and Cavite.
The order identified Regions 1 (except Pangasinan), 2 and 5 (except Masbate and Catanduanes) as protected zone since that they have no cases of ASF and are considered low-risk provinces but are contiguous with yellow zones in terms of land mass.
The entire Visayas and Mindanao have been declared free zones as they remain free from ASF virus in relation to their geographical limit.
“Due to their geographical isolation as island provinces, which keeps them ASF-free, the provinces of Region 4B [Mimaropa], Masbate and Catanduanes [both of Region 5] are, likewise, declared as free zones,” the order read.
Local hog industry stakeholders have been awaiting for the zoning plan to be formally implemented in the hopes that local government units would follow it to normalize the flow of pork trade in the country.