KORONADAL CITY (MindaNews / 13 December)—The city government is pushing for the downgrading of the area to surveillance zone for the African swine fever (ASF) as it continues efforts to clear the city from the dreaded animal disease.
Based on the updated ASF zoning status from Nov. 7 to Dec. 1 issued by the Bureau of Animal Industry, the city and 28 localities in Region 12 have been downgraded from infected to buffer zones in line with the implementation of the national zoning and movement plan.
Lowered from the red (infected) to pink (buffer) zones were Alamada, Aleosan, Antipas, Arakan, Banisilan, Carmen, Kabacan, Kidapawan City, Libungan, Magpet, Makilala, Matalam, Midsayap, Mlang, Pigcawayan, President Roxas and Tulunan in North Cotabato; Banga, Koronadal City, Norala, Sto. Nino, Surallah and Tantangan in South Cotabato; and, Columbio, Esperanza, Isulan, Lutayan, President Quirino and Tacurong City in Sultan Kudarat.
The municipalities of Bagumbayan, Kalamansig, Lebak, Lambayong and Palimbang in Sultan Kudarat as well as Glan and Malapatan in Sarangani remained as red or infected zones.
Already declared as ASF-free zones are General Santos City, Polomolok in South Cotabato, and Kiamba, Maasim and Maitum in Sarangani.
Dr. Paul Aloot, Veterinarian IV of the City Veterinary Office, said they have sustained their intensified monitoring and surveillance activities against ASF in the city, especially in the border areas.
The ASF sentineling program is ongoing in Barangays Namnama, Rotonda and San Jose through 81 piglets provided last month by the Department of Agriculture (DA) Region XII.
Aloot said at least 51 hog raisers were enlisted for the program. They are from areas that were hit hard by the outbreak last year and those selected in a raffle draw during an orientation on biosecurity.
Under the program, Aloot said the piglets will be subjected to blood sampling for at least 40 days.
“If the results turn out negative, it will serve as one of the basis for the city’s further downgrading from pink (buffer) to yellow (surveillance) zone,” he said in a statement.
Dr. Charlemagne Calo, city veterinarian, earlier said the city still has a long way to go before it can reach the dark green or ASF-free status.
The city was among the areas in Region XII that were hit by ASF in 2022, reaching the critical status as early as April, resulting to the culling of hundreds of hogs from commercial farms and backyard growers to contain its spread.
DA initially confirmed cases of ASF in the city in January 2020 among hogs purchased from Davao del Sur but was contained following the culling of the infected animals. (Allen V. Estabillo / MindaNews)
