Two Antique Towns Reclassified in Fight Against African Swine Fever

ANTIQUE — The municipalities of Sibalom and San Jose de Buenavista in Antique province have successfully transitioned from red to pink zones in their battle against African swine fever (ASF), indicating a significant reduction in the disease’s presence.

According to Philippines News Agency, Chief of the Public Health Division at the Antique Provincial Veterinary (ProVet), Sibalom was reclassified to a pink zone on August 5 after not recording any ASF cases for a year. The last confirmed case in Sibalom was reported in Barangay Pangpang on July 26, 2023. Similarly, San Jose de Buenavista was approved for reclassification in July, marking a major step forward in the local fight against ASF.

With the downgrade to a pink zone, San Jose de Buenavista is set to initiate a recovery program where 139 local hog raisers will each receive one piglet from the Department of Agriculture (DA) in September for sentinelling purposes. Sentinelling involves monitoring these piglets to ensure that ASF is no longer present after the implementation of strict biosecurity measures.

The transition of these municipalities has raised hopes for the complete eradication of ASF in the region. Two other towns, Hamtic and Belison, are also seeking to move from red to pink zones, with their last reported cases on October 19 and November 9, 2023, respectively. Dr. Ardamil expressed optimism about the entire province reaching ASF-free status soon, pending the reclassification of these remaining towns.