Manila: Department of Agriculture (DA) Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. on Friday ordered the refinement of protocols to speed up the government-controlled vaccination against African swine fever (ASF) in Batangas province. 'We're hopeful that impending changes to the vaccination protocol will finally fast-track the vaccine rollout and finally address our problem with this stubborn virus,' he said in a statement. The rollout in Batangas of 10,000 emergency-procured AVAC live vaccines from Vietnam is ongoing, with initial results from two farms in Lobo town showing higher antibodies in some of the vaccinated hogs. There are no detail yet on the refinements protocols to speed up the vaccination process. The DA earlier stressed the urgency to secure approval for the vaccine's commercial use, alongside stringent biosecurity measures to help prevent further spread of ASF nationwide. As of Oct. 2, red (infected) zones in 122 municipalities in 14 regions rose to 534, from 524 barangays on Sept. 20. The areas with the highest number of red zones are North Cotabato with 131, Quezon with 98, Batangas with 72, Camarines Sur with 43, and La Union with 35. Source: Philippines News agency