Manila: Continuous government interventions have helped reduce the number of African swine fever (ASF)-affected barangays in the Philippines, the Department of Agriculture (DA) said on Wednesday.
According to Philippines News Agency, the number of ASF-affected barangays dropped to eight on April 24, from 15 barangays on April 10 and 98 barangays at the end of 2025. The ASF-affected villages are in Ifugao, Kalinga, Quezon, Oriental Mindoro, Southern Leyte, and Surigao del Sur.
In a press conference, DA Assistant Secretary for Swine and Poultry Michael De Joya Garcia indicated that various government interventions, in partnership with local government units (LGUs) and farmers, are showing significant gains. These include government-controlled vaccinations, stringent enforcement of biosecurity measures, and training for local farmers.
Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI) Director Christian Daquigan highlighted that more than 400,000 doses out of the 500,000 doses of AVAC live vaccines have already been administered to healthy and ASF-negative hogs nationwide. He noted that many have availed of the vaccines, which have shown promising results, leading to repeated use by farmers.
Most of the vaccines were administered in Batangas, Tarlac, and Rizal. Garcia stated that the DA is expediting efforts to secure more vaccines against ASF by seeking additional suppliers.
The DA also emphasized continuous collaboration with local farmers and the provision of training for small farms to enhance biosecurity measures. Coordination with LGUs is ongoing to observe biosecurity measures and containment strategies.
